Historic WWII Destroyer USS The Sullivans Sink at the Military Park Pier

The decorated US Navy destroyer-turned-museum ship USS The Sullivans partially sank on Wednesday at the Buffalo Naval Park in Buffalo, New York.

Following reports that the ship had partially sunk, the US Coast Guard said pollution monitors monitored dewatering efforts.

The USS The Sullivans is owned and maintained as a museum ship by Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, the largest inland Naval Park in the United States, located in Buffalo, New York.

The ship had been docked for some time. The ship was commissioned in 1943 and decommissioned in 1965 after collecting 11 combat stars. Water pierced the hull in February 2021, putting it in “emergency repair status,” according to WUTV.

uss-the-sullivans-sinks — U.S Coast Guard Photo

The team of divers working on the project was pulled from the project last year when the water became too cold for the epoxy to seal, according to Spectrum News. Work had been underway to patch holes in the ship’s bottom caused by rusting and erosion, but the team of divers working on the project was pulled from the project last year when the water became too cold for the epoxy to seal. The team was set to return to work next week, according to the station.

“For over a year, we have been working hard to preserve USS The Sullivans and that work continues today and into the future. We are grateful for your continued support of this historic ship and of the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park.” the organization said in a Facebook post.

CEO of Buffalo Naval Park says “divers are investigating possible holes or rips on the aft of midship on starboard side of USS The Sullivans.”

Four huge pumps were delivered to the site, according to a video posted to Twitter by a photojournalist for WGRZ.

4 large pumps have been delivered to the Naval Park to help remove the water from the USS The Sullivans. .@WGRZ pic.twitter.com/5zrCdljWsV
— Ben Read (@benphoto716) April 14, 2022

The USS The Sullivans is one of only four Fletcher-class destroyers in the world and the first ship in the US Navy to be named after more than one person. The Fletcher-class destroyers were the largest and most important class of US destroyers.