Power Restored to Car Carrier Adrift Off Oregon's Coast

Late Sunday morning, the United States Coast Guard reported that the Singapore-flagged Morning Spruce had lost power to its engine just outside of the Columbia River’s entrance. New reports from the USCG say that power has been restored on the 648-foot car container vessel as it was aimlessly drifting along Oregon’s coast without power.

The ship’s engineer restored power later the same afternoon, and the Morning Spruce will be escorted by a tug to the Columbia River. Officials state that a second tug will then join the two vessels upriver, and they will all continue on to Portland, Oregon where the Coast Guard will inspect the Morning Spruce.

No fuel spills have been identified or reported, although the car carrier is loaded with a full shipment of cars and 543,000 gallons of fuel. Details on how the vessel lost all power are still being investigated.  

Photo Source: MarineTaffic.com