Video: Graving Dock Floods at NASSCO Shipyard

On Wednesday, a graving dock at the General Dynamics NASSCO yard in San Diego failed, partially flooding the hull of the as-yet-unfinished expeditionary sea base USNS Miguel Keith. No injuries were reported, but the U.S. Navy and NASSCO are investigating to determine the extent of the damage to the ship. The Miguel Keith is nearing completion, and NASSCO fitted her final prefabricated block just last month. 

Video taken by bystanders (below) showed water flooding into the dock, sending a wave of debris floating past the vessel. 

Video via social media / The Drive [in Spanish]

In a statement, the Navy said that "the ship floated off the docking blocks and took on water through hull cuts that were made to support the ship’s construction and outfitting." NASSCO said that the ship "is safe and in stable condition." The yard did not release the root cause of the flooding event, but local first responders told San Diego's ABC affiliate that the barrier that keeps the sea out of the drydock failed.