On April 13, the 55 foot long towboat Charley Wallace sank on the Ohio River near Cairo, Illinois. Reports state the towboat had over 1000 gallons of diesel fuel on board when it completely sank on the river. Authorities state a sheen can be seen above the wreck. The Coast Guard has dispatched an unit from Paducah to the scene. No reports of injuries. The incident is under investigation.
On March 31, the 229 meter long, 82000 dwt bulk carrier Ever Judger caught fire while anchored off Borneo near Balikpanan, Indonesia. The Ever Judger had completed loading some 70,000 tons of coal and was preparing to depart for Lumut. At the same time, a crew was working off a jetty near the Chevron Terminal. The workers spotted a fuel oil spill in the water and attempted to clear up the spill by igniting it. The oil slick quickly engulfed in flames reaching up to 6 feet above the water. The burning slick drifted until it reached the port side of the Ever Judger. Authorities dispatched tugs hoping to prevent the bulk carrier from catching fire while the 20 crew on the Ever Judger evacuated. The tugs were only slightly effective as the port hull and superstructure sustained significant damage.
One crewman on the Ever Judger was injured by the flames requiring treatment. Reports state two fishermen perished from the fire and three more were reported as missing. Authorities have begun spraying the area with oil dispersants to breakup the pollution. Authorities have also launched an investigation into the source of the fuel oil spilled into the water. Reports state the fuel oil was not a product produced at the nearby terminal.
On January 27, the 77 meter long supply vessel Caballo Eclipse capsized and sank off Carmelite Island, Mexico. The unmanned Caballo Eclipse had been at anchor off the coast since 2017 when storm waves caused hull failure. A meter long crack on the port hull allowed uncontrolled water ingress into the vessel. The Caballo Eclipse partially filled with water before it capsized and partially sank with the hull resting on the bottom. No reports of injuries.
Reports state some diesel fuel had been released, but no details to the quantity of pollution was provided. Authorities did not state if any salvage or scrapping will be done to the vessel. The Caballo Eclipse had been considered abandoned since 2017 when her owners suffered financial problems.