​​About midnight on October 21–22, 2008, during a severe storm, the U.S. commercial fishing vessel Katmai sank in the Bering Sea. The vessel was carrying about 120,000 pounds (53.57 long tons) of frozen cod—twice the maximum weight addressed in the Katmai’s 1996 stability report. Of the 11 crewmembers on board, 4 were rescued, the bodies of 5 were recovered, and 2 remain missing and are presumed dead.

​​The probable cause of the sinking of the Katmai was the loss of the vessel’s watertight integrity because watertight doors from the main deck to the processing space and the lazarette were left open by the crew at a time when the vessel was overloaded and navigating in severe weather, which allowed water to enter the vessel resulting in progressive flooding and sinking. Contributing to the accident was the master’s decision to continue fishing operations during the approach of severe weather rather than seeking shelter and to load twice the amount of cargo addressed in the vessel’s stability report. Also contributing to the accident was the owner’s failure to ensure that the stability information provided to the master was current and that the master understood it and operated the vessel accordingly.​