The historic USS The Sullivans took water and partially sank in Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park, according to the U.S. Coast Guard Buffalo Sector.
Officials said the 78-year-old ship suffered a rupture near the middle of the ship as its right side sank in Lake Erie on Thursday.
The U.S. Coast Guard said more than 3 million gallons of water flooded the historic ship.
“This ship will be up again,” said Naval and Military Park President Paul Marzello, according to Buffalo News. “Failure is not an option.”
New York Governor and Buffalo resident Kathy Hotsul said emergency services were ready to rescue the “symbol of perseverance,” which has been operating as a museum ship since 1977.
“The USS The Sullivans are a tribute to our heroes – to a family that lost all five of its sons in the Pacific and to the 400,000 Americans who died fighting in World War II,” said Hotsul. “Our government agencies are on the ground and ready to help revive this treasure and symbol of perseverance.”
The U.S. Coast Guard estimates that the ship took about 3 million gallons of water.
The Coast Guard claims that positive progress has been made in the drainage process on Thursday night. Rescue crews used pumps capable of pumping more than 13,000 gallons of water per minute to minimize further sinking.
According to SaveTheSullivans.org, a fundraising website dedicated to the ship’s restoration efforts, the USS The Sullivans has suffered from the “hard” Buffalo weather and is in danger of sinking.
Last year, Marzello told The Buffalo News that the attraction would sink if no repairs were made. Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park raised $ 1 million to repair the boat in November.
The USS The Sullivans has been classified as a Fletcher destroyer named after five brothers – George, Frank, Joe, Matt and Al Sullivan. The quintet was killed in action after a torpedo hit the USS Juneau in 1942.
