Spills · historic_wreck
Gulf of mexico
Liberty Ship Thomas Heyward, Gulf of Mexico · NOAAORR-10190
- issued
- 2020-10-22 00:00Z
- status
- cancelled 2020-11-05 00:00Z
- self-cancels
- 2020-11-05 00:00Z
- authority
- NOAA OR&R
- sea
- Gulf of Mexico
- position
- 30.308, -86.604
- source
- incidentnews · first seen 2026-09-03 15:09Z
Original warning text
Liberty Ship Thomas Heyward, Gulf of Mexico. Gulf of Mexico. 1. On October 21, 2020, NOAA was notified of a spill from the SS Thomas Heyward Liberty Ship, now an artificial reef located southwest of Destin East Pass, FL. In September, sport divers reported oil sheen on the water surface and black "oil - like" substance flowing from the deck of the ship and the Okaloosa county diver conducted an inspection of the artificial reef and collected samples. Now, USCG requested NOAA assistance in identifying whether the ship is related to the Johnson Beach spill, reported after Hurricane Sally made landfall. 2. THREAT: OIL. COMMODITY: OIL. TAGS: HISTORIC WRECK, HURRICANE. 3. POSITION 30.308N 086.604W. NOAA INCIDENTNEWS 10190: https://incidentnews.noaa.gov/incident/10190
This area · spills & pollution incidents
538 within 180 nm since 1970 · 24 in the last 12 months · 2 in force now
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- Crude oil spill and in-situ burn at tpic; south pass 24, pilottown, louisiana2026-08-26
- 8X38+5H dauphin island, al, USA2026-08-24
- Mystery sheen at south pass 29; port eads, louisiana2026-08-13
- Wcc oil spill, main pass 21; breton sound, louisiana2026-06-11
- Tpic oil spill, main pass 81; gulf of america2026-06-10
- Oil spill from out-of-service tank at tpic main pass 69 facility; louisiana2026-05-19
Season · when spills & pollution incidents happen here
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month of issue, all years in the archive
Nearby now · within 120 nm
- 8X38+5H dauphin island, al, USASpills · 74.1 nm
Worldwide now
8 spills & pollution incidents in force · see all
Spills
Oil and chemical spills, groundings and vessel casualties with a pollution threat: NOAA IncidentNews responses since 1957, and spill-response areas broadcast as navigational warnings. All current spills & pollution incidents →
Not for navigation. This is a re-rendering of an official navigational warning for awareness; mariners must use official NAVAREA broadcasts and their national MSI service.