VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The Coast Guard held a formal hearing starting January 26 in Virginia Beach on last year’s fire that destroyed the Spirit of Norfolk.
The Coast Guard says the hearing will discuss all aspects of the fire and response, including “pre-accident historical events, regulatory compliance, crewmember duties and qualifications, mechanical systems, emergency response, and Coast Guard oversight of the vessel.”
The hearing will happen at Virginia Beach City Council Chambers at 8 a.m. daily on these days:
- Thursday, Jan. 26
- Friday, Jan. 27
- Saturday, Jan. 28
- Monday, Jan. 30
- Tuesday, Jan. 31
- Thursday, Feb. 2
- Friday, Feb. 3 (if necessary)
View the hearing from Jan. 26 below.
The National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting their own investigation, and will analyze facts provided by the Coast Guard before publishing a separate report, the Coast Guard says.
Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath, commander of the Fifth Coast Guard District, ordered the formal investigation into the fire, which broke out in the Spirit of Norfolk’s engine room during a lunch cruise on June 7, 2022, in Norfolk.
More than 100 people were on board at the time, including two large groups of local elementary school students, and they were all rescued with no injuries reported. 15 commercial vessels sprang into action to help that day, with the crews of the Victory Rover and the crew of the Rosemary Mcallister earning the Coast Guard’s Distinguished Public Service Award.
The Spirit of Norfolk was towed to Naval Station Norfolk from the Waterside area, where crews battled the flames through the night of June 7 and into June 8. The Spirit was eventually deemed a total loss and replaced with a similar vessel, the Spirit of Mount Vernon.
WAVY will have updates on the hearing when it happens. You can also follow the Coast Guard’s Mid-Atlantic Twitter account for more information.