Failure of sea chest valve likely flooded docked bulk carrier, NTSB says

The US National Transportation Safety Board has released a report detailing an incident involving the bulk carrier Cuyahoga, which was discovered partially flooded on March 18, 2025, while docked in Ashtabula, Ohio. There were no injuries or pollution reported during the incident.

The 605-foot (184-metre) vessel was previously declared a constructive total loss following a fire in March 2024. The NTSB determined that the fire resulted in an estimated $11 million loss for the owner, Lower Lakes Towing.

Lower Lakes Towing stated it decided not to repair the ship after the fire and planned to place the vessel in cold layup for the winter. This status meant the ship did not have shore power or a resident shipkeeper on board to monitor systems daily.