About 0330 local time on February 15, 2019, the commercial fishing vessel Pacific 1 was engaged in cod fishing in the Bering Sea near Kashega Bay, Unalaska Island, Alaska, when the vessel began to take on water at the stern. The five crewmembers abandoned the vessel and were rescued by the nearby Good Samaritan vessel Kona Kai. No crewmembers were injured in the accident, and an oil sheen was reported. The vessel sank and was considered a total constructive loss, valued at an estimated $720,000.

​The probable cause of the sinking of the fishing vessel Pacific 1 was the captain’s decision to remain at sea with continuous flooding in the lazarette from an undetermined source, which accelerated and eventually led to progressive flooding.

​​Maintenance and Operation of Bilge Alarms

Automatic high-water bilge alarms are intended to provide crews with an early warning of vessel flooding. Manual detection often occurs only after rapid flooding is underway, leaving little time for mitigating action. In inaccessible spaces, or small spaces with limited means or ability to inspect underway (such as a fishing vessel’s stern compartment, or lazarette), bilge level-monitoring alarms are often the sole means to alert operators of space flooding. Operators should periodically test bilge high-water alarms and follow best marine practices ​and manufacturer recommendations for inspection and maintenance.