The salvors, Resolve Marine, have reported that the car carrier Morning Midas has sunk in international waters in the North Pacific. The vessel suffered a fire on 3 June 2025.
According to the ship’s manager, Zodiac Maritime, 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 23 June, in waters approximately 5000 metres 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 specialised pollution response vessel is also en-route to the location as an additional precaution. All operations continue to prioritise 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, says Zodiac Maritime in a statement.
Also read: Fire Morning Midas continues, salvage plan in the works
Morning Midas fire
The Morning Midas was a 182.80-metre car carrier that was built in 2006. It sailed under the flag of Liberia and was managed by UK-based Zodiac Maritime. The US Coast Guard received the initial report that a fire had erupted on board on Tuesday, June 3, at approximately 3:15 p.m. Zodiac Maritime contracted Resolve Marine for the salvage, but it has proven impossible to bring the ship to safety.
At the time of the fire, 22 crew members were on board. All crew evacuated the ship aboard a life raft and were subsequently rescued by the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, one of the good Samaritan vessels on scene, with no reported injuries.
The Morning Midas was estimated to have approximately 350 metric tonnes of gas fuel and 1530 metric tonnes of very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) on board. In addition, a total of 3048 vehicles were on board, with seventy being fully electric vehicles and 681 being partial hybrid electric vehicles.
Picture (top): A Coast Guard C-130J Super Hercules aircrew from Air Station Kodiak conducts an overflight of the fire aboard the cargo vessel Morning Midas approximately 300 miles south of Adak, Alaska, June 3, 2025. All 22 crew members were rescued by the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas with no reported injuries (US Coast Guard photo, courtesy of Air Station Kodiak).
Also read: Car carrier Morning Midas on fire off Alaska
