A 600-foot
New Carissa, heading for the International Port of Coos Bay to pick up a load of wood chips, ran aground near the mouth of the bay on February 4, 1999. Efforts to return the ship to sea failed. In order to prevent major spillage of the ship's load of bunker oil, the ship was set on fire. Although much of the oil did burn, a large portion did not and the violence of the effort caused the ship to break apart. There was a high concern that oil spills would threaten snowy plovers and reach into the sensitive waters of the South Slough.
Fortunately, very little additional oil got out and the bow section of the ship was eventually pulled free. Then a major winter storm caused the tow line to break and the bow to float to Waldport. It was pulled free again and sunk in deep waters.
The stern section of the ship remains stuck in the sand. Various plans have been proposed for removing it, although it might be left as a tourist attraction.
