The US Coast Guard postponed an underwater assessment of the motor tanker Coimbra until the spring of 2019. USCG decided this as the early start of the 2018 hurricane season and activity of Hurricane Chris impacted logistics and raised safety concerns for the operation.
Located 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.
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Capt. Kevin Reed, commander, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, stated:
The safety of our personnel is one of our highest concerns in any mission we conduct. 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.
The assessment was originally going to take place from 19 to 27 June, and boaters were requested to keep a safe distance of 500 yards from the dive operation.
The US Coast Guard has contracted the US-based salvage company Resolve Marine to conduct an underwater assessment of the tanker.
