About 1140 on June 22, 2017, the shrimp trawler Lady Damaris sank in the Gulf of Mexico en route to Galveston, Texas. The day prior, the crew had discovered a hole in the hull, which they were unable to effectively plug. As water flooded the trawler’s engine room and freezer hold, the bilge pumps failed. The crew broadcast a distress call, and a US Coast Guard helicopter and small boat responded, along with a Good Samaritan vessel. Coast Guard personnel assisted the Lady Damaris ’s crew in attempting to dewater the vessel, but they were unable to keep up with the flooding. The vessel was abandoned and sank soon thereafter. No one was injured during the accident. About 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel and lube oil were released into the water. The Lady Damaris and its catch of bagged shrimp, valued at $210,000, were lost.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the flooding and sinking of the fishing vessel Lady Damaris was the captain’s decision to continue to operate with a known hull leak.
Full report is here. MAB 1818 (pdf)