The United States Coast Guard has called off their search for the missing captain of the replica ship the HMS Bounty, and has ordered an investigation into the reasons why the Bounty set sail last week in the midst of Hurricane Sandy.
The HMS Bounty, a 180 foot three masted ship that was built as a replica of the historic British vessel of the same name, set sail from a North Carolina Harbor on Sunday as Sandy was rapidly approaching the Eastern Seaboard. The owner of the Bounty reported losing contact with the crew soon after the ship set sail. The ship was later found to have floundered at sea after taking on water during the hurricane.
The US Coast Guard launched a rescue mission that saved 14 surviving crew members with life rafts. The body of 42 year old Claudene Christian was recovered later, and she was pronounced dead on the scene.The ship’s captain, 63 year old Robin Wallbridge, remains missing and is presumed dead.
Rear Admiral Steven Ratti, the commander of the Coast Guard’s 5th District, has now announced that an official investigation will be launched into the accident as the Coast Guard called off the search for Wallbridge. Coast Guard spokesperson Lieutenant Michael Patterson said that the investigators will be looking into the factors that contributed to the accident, in particular why the ship set sail in such stormy conditions in the first place.
The three masts of the tall vessel were visible for some time above the stormy swells, but from Tuesday the Coast Guard has not been able to find the wreckage of the ship, said Patterson. It is estimated that the depth of the water where the ship sank is around 13 000 feet. It sank approximately 90 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The investigation is expected to take months.
The 14 surviving crew members have been interviewed by Coast Guard Officials and their narratives will form a critical part of the investigation, said Patterson. According to crew member reports, the vessel sank after both its water pumps failed, with the ship taking on water in high seas caused by Hurricane Sandy.
The HMS Bounty was originally built for the 1963 film “Mutiny on the Bounty” and has also appeared in popular films such as the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The ship was scheduled to be retired as a tourist attraction in Galveston next year.
