The maritime prepositioning ship Sgt. Matej Kocak, which ran aground six miles off the coast of Okinawa, was still stuck despite several high tides early Saturday morning, Japan time, leaving Navy officials puzzling over how to best to free the 49,000 ton vessel.
"The ship is stable and tugs are on station to ensure continued stability," said 7th Fleet Spokesman Cmdr. William Marks in an email. "Last night's rising tide did not refloat the ship naturally, therefore further assessment and a plan to refloat the ship safely is under development."
The Kocak ran aground at about 11:30 a.m. local time on an ebb tide near the southern portion of the island, according to information released by Navy officials familiar with the incident.
The ship will remain in place while divers do an assessment of the damage to the hull, which is resting on a rocky bed of sand or reef, Marks said. Navy officials do not yet know if any live coral was damaged in the grounding.
The full extent of the damage to the hull isn't known but "it is not threatening to personnel or to the survivability of the ship," he said.
The Navy is holding off on any new efforts to free the ship until they assess how best to do it without incurring more damage to the ship.
As for embarked personnel, everyone is still on board and going about their daily routines, Marks said.
"An LCU for personnel transfer is on standby if needed, but there is no need to move personnel ashore at this time," he said.
There are 38 civilian crew members aboard, as well as 67 Army personnel and 26 Marines.
David B. Larter was the naval warfare reporter for Defense News.
