Station HYPO

On August 21, 2017, USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), was involved in a collision with the Liberian-flagged tanker Alnic MC off the coast of Singapore and Malaysia, east of the Strait of Malacca. According to a U.S. Navy press release, the breach “resulted in flooding to nearby compartments, including crew berthing, machinery, and communications rooms.”

Ten US Navy sailors died as a result of the crash, which prompted the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore to start a multi-agency SAR effort as the agency responsible for coordinating SAR operations within Singapore’s Maritime Search and Rescue Region (MSRR).  The Singapore Transport Safety Bureau (TSIB) also launched a marine safety investigation following the collision in accordance with the International Maritime Organization’s Casualty Investigation Code in Singapore’s capacity as a coastal state, and published its final report on March 8, 2018.  The U.S. Navy announced on August 24, 2017 that it had suspended search-and-rescue efforts for survivors in the open sea to focus on the recovery of the remains of the missing sailors still inside the flooded compartments of the ship.  By August 27, U.S. Navy and United States Marine Corps divers had recovered the remains of all ten sailors.