USCG postpones underwater assessment of WWII tanker Coimbra

The U.S. Coast Guard postponed an underwater assessment of the motor tanker Coimbra till the spring of 2019. The early start of the 2018 hurricane season and activity of Hurricane Chris impacted logistics and raised safety concerns for the operation, the USCG said in its news release.

“The safety of our personnel is one of our highest concerns in any mission we conduct,” said Capt. Kevin Reed, commander, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. “We are scheduled to resume our joint efforts with the Navy Supervisor of Salvage, the Coast Guard Academy Science Department, the Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and New York Department of Environmental Conservation in the spring of 2019.”

Located approximately 30 miles southeast of Shinnecock, N.Y., the Coimbra was sunk during World War II by a German U-boat. The operation will assess the condition of the tanker and potential to have an environmental impact.