U.S. Coast Guard sinks Japanese ‘ghost ship’ off Alaska coast
The U.S. Coast Guard, firing repeated machine-gun blasts from one of its cutters, on Thursday scuttled an abandoned Japanese “ghost ship” that had been washed out to sea near Alaska by last year’s devastating tsunami.
The derelict fishing vessel Ryou-Un Maru, which posed a threat to other marine traffic, sank at about 6:15 p.m. local time (0215 GMT on Friday), nearly five hours after the Coast Guard first opened fire on the ship, Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Kip Wadlow told Reuters.
“It’s confirmed,” he said. “The vessel has been sunk and is no longer a navigational hazard in the area.” (Photos: U.S. Coast Guard handout/Reuters)
