​On May 14, 2024, about 0550 local time, vessel representatives for the fishing vessel North American, which was uncrewed and docked on the Lake Washington Ship Canal, in Seattle, Washington, were notified that the vessel was flooding. Salvors arrived on scene and attempted to dewater the vessel but were unable to keep up with the flooding, and the vessel eventually sank. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. Damage to the vessel was initially estimated at $3 million.

​We determined that the probable cause of the flooding and sinking of the fishing vessel North American was hull corrosion, which resulted in wastage holes that allowed water ingress into the engine room overnight while the vessel was unattended.​