On October 4, 2023, about 0328 local time, the cargo vessel Bonnie G ran aground in the Caribbean Sea, less than 1 mile south of Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, while maneuvering following an anchor chain failure in heavy weather. The twelve persons on board abandoned the vessel and were rescued by a US Coast Guard small boat. The Bonnie G remained hard aground for several weeks until salvors could successfully refloat it and tow it to a dock. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. Damage to the vessel was estimated at $1.5 million.
We determined that the probable cause of the grounding of the cargo vessel Bonnie G was the inadequate scope of chain deployed when anchoring, which likely led to the anchor chain parting, and the captain not identifying a charted rock and steering the vessel onto it when attempting to maneuver to safe water.
