The Coast Guard cutter Healy, a polar icebreaker and the largest vessel in the service, was towed to its home port in Seattle on July 13 for repairs after what officials on Friday said was a “significant engineering casualty.”
The 420-foot Healy was sailing north of Port Angeles, a city 100 miles northwest of Seattle, when the engine problems began. It happened soon after the ship finished having maintenance work that kept it in drydock for six months.
There were no reported injuries from the incident, officials said.
“The crew of Coast Guard Healy acted with speed and skill in responding to this casualty,” Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard, said in a statement. “The nation needs a highly capable icebreaking fleet operated by the Coast Guard to ensure year-round access to the region to protect our northern border in Alaska and maritime approaches in the Arctic.”
The Coast Guard has observed heightened activity in the U.S. Arctic region. The cutter Munro tracked two Chinese research vessels last week that were advancing north through the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, officials said Friday.
“Munro’s efforts advanced Operation Frontier Sentinel, which is designed to protect American sovereign rights, ensure consistency with international law, and position the Coast Guard to rapidly respond to any detected malign activity,” officials said in a statement.
The Coast Guard didn’t offer further details about the Healy’s engine problems.
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