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Port of Long Beach Recovery Completed and Containership Departs
The Port of Long Beach has successfully completed recovery operations following the container collapse involving the containership Mississippi, lifting all safety restrictions and restoring normal port activity. After 18 days of extensive work, the Mississippi departed on September 27, bound for Cai Mep, Vietnam, closing one of the port’s rarest and most complex maritime incidents in recent years that temporarily affected sea freight operations.
A Complex Salvage Operation
“This was an extremely rare event that required a complex and unique salvage operation,” said Michael Goldschmidt, Port of Long Beach incident commander for the Pier G response. He thanked the U.S. Coast Guard, vessel managers, salvage crews, and ILWU workers for ensuring a safe and expedited return to normal operations.
A total of 95 containers that had fallen overboard from the Mississippi were recovered in and around Pier G. The number grew from an initial estimate of 67 to 75, and eventually 95, after teams discovered crushed, submerged, or hidden units in the adjacent boat basin.
Salvage operations utilized side-scan sonar, remotely operated vehicles, and dive teams to locate containers and inspect the vessel’s hull. After stacks were offloaded, tugs, pilot vessels, and line handlers repositioned the ship to access boxes trapped beneath her bottom.
Safety Restored and Cargo Flow Maintained
The port initially implemented a 500-yard safety zone, later reduced to 100 yards, before fully lifting the restriction on September 26. Throughout the salvage operation, the U.S. Coast Guard authorized 142 vessel transits, helping to maintain steady sea freight flows through the busy container gateway.
Photos taken September 26 showed the 5,500 TEU Mississippi fully discharged. Two destabilized container stacks had caused boxes to hang over the ship’s side or rest on the adjacent emission control barge, a stark reminder of the collapse that first occurred on September 9.
Departure of the Mississippi
With the recovery complete, the Mississippi departed Long Beach on September 27. AIS data confirms she is now en route to Cai Mep, Vietnam, resuming her Asia–U.S. sea freight rotation.
Investigation Underway
Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the collapse. Both the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched investigations to determine the factors behind the incident and provide safety recommendations to prevent similar events in the future.
Sea Freight Significance
The completion of this complex recovery underscores the critical role of efficient emergency response in protecting the global sea freight supply chain. By minimizing disruption to cargo traffic between Asia and North America, the Port of Long Beach has reinforced its position as a resilient hub for international trade.
