HOUSTON — Two inbound chemical tankers collided Wednesday, approximately 70 miles south of Galveston, causing some internal damage to one of the tankers.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Houston/Galveston were notified of the collision by a National Response Center report at approximately 4:30 a.m., stating that the 385-foot tanker Chem Sea, and the 557-foot tanker Bow Kiso, had collided while headed to Houston.
The Bow Kiso suffered a fuel leak in their engine room, but was able to patch the leak and pump the remainder of the fuel into an auxiliary tank.
The Coast Guard launched crews aboard an HU-25 Falcon jet from Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi and a Coast Guard Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter to assess the situation. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Texas City will board both vessels to conduct damage assessments and investigate the cause of the accident.
