Buffalo, New York — Efforts are underway to try to save the retired Navy vessel named for the five Waterloo brothers who died together in World War II when a Japanese torpedo struck the USS Juneau.
“The Sullivans” — a Navy destroyer — is a floating museum in the harbor at Buffalo, New York. Paul Marzello is president and CEO of the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park. He discovered The Sullivans was sinking last Wednesday due to a breach in the hull.
Marzello spoke at a news conference this weekend. The vessel is listing to its side and multiple news organizations quote the U.S. Coast Guard estimate that there’s a million gallons of water inside the ship. Marzello says it’s unclear what caused the breach.
On Friday, efforts to pump water out were halted as diesel was discovered in Buffalo’s harbor. This weekend divers and equipment began maneuvering inside the vessel to remove contaminants like fuel and oils from inside, to prevent the materials from reaching Lake Erie. The Buffalo News reports say a Navy architect and experts from a salvage company were scheduled to arrive at the site Monday to assess the situation. Buffalo’s mayor says efforts to save the USS The Sullivans will take time.
The five Sullivan brothers died on November 13th, 1942 and the Navy destroyer named in their honor was in service in World War II and the Korean War. It was decommissioned in 1965 and has been in Buffalo since 1977.
