The fire-damaged car carrier Morning Midas sank while under tow in the North Pacific Ocean. The ship, with 3,048 vehicles aboard, including over 700 fully electric or hybrid electric vehicles, caught fire three weeks ago on one of the decks carrying the electrical vehicles. Despite efforts to fight the blaze, the fire’s intensity forced all 22 crew members to abandon ship.

Salvage tugs from Resolve Marine took a week to reach the vessel because of its remote location approximately 360 nautical miles southwest of the Aleutians in Alaska. The vessel was still burning when teams on the salvage tug Gretchen Dunlap reached it on June 9, but they believed the water integrity had been maintained. A towline was attacked on June 11, and by the time a second salvage vessel Garth Foss arrived on June 16, thermal scans and visual inspections showed no signs of an active fire onboard.

Zodiac Maritime, the ship’s manager, released this statement:

“The salvors, Resolve Marine, have reported that the Morning Midas sank in international waters in the North Pacific, following the fire that broke out on board on June 3, 2025.

“Damage caused by the fire, compounded by heavy weather and subsequent water ingress, caused the Morning Midas to sink at around 16.35 local time zone (UTC -9) on June 23, in waters approximately 5,000 meters deep and 360 nautical miles from land.

“As a precaution, two salvage tugs containing pollution control equipment remain on site to monitor for any signs of pollution or debris. Their crews are safe. A specialized pollution response vessel is also en-route to the location as an additional precaution.

“All operations continue to prioritize the safety of personnel and the protection of the marine environment.

“We remain in close coordination with Resolve Marine and the United States Coast Guard, and we extend our sincere thanks for their professionalism, swift response, and continued collaboration.”