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Tug assisted in sinking of torpedo retriever
The Sea Islander' pulled a former 120-ft-Navy torpedo vessel that spent years stuck in a Charleston-area marsh to a sinking site 40 miles off the coast on the morning of Dec 7, 2025. The ship, named 'Hazar' by its former owner, will now serve as an artificial reef, providing habitat for marine wildlife and fishing and diving opportunities. A convoy of boats manned by the state Department of Natural Resources, the Coastal Conservation Association of South Carolina and Stevens Towing circled the ship, after two of Stevens Towing’s crew members tossed a cinderblock anchor over the stern, to help drag the 'Hazar' into the depths. Then, they pulled two levers that opened a set of valve below deck. It took roughly two hours, and a handful of deliberate nudges from the tug for the torpedo retriever to fully sink. The torpedo retriever joined a bevy of barges and boats that were already resting at the bottom of the Palmetto State’s waters to serve as artificial reefs. The 'Hazar' became the 25th vessel sunk as part of the Coastal Reefing Initiative since the partnership between the CCA and SCDNR began in 2010. The ship was the third to be deployed as a reef t in 2025. If the weather and tides cooperate, the agencies have a fourth ready for reefing before the end of the year. The torpedo retriever is also the first abandoned vessel to be removed and acquired by the state under the recently adopted abandoned and derelict vessel law. The law made it easier for the state to declare watercraft abandoned and strengthened penalties for individuals who leave their boats in state waterways. The ship’s previous owner, Mohamad Kodaimati, was also the first to be arrested under the new law. SCDNR law enforcement officers arrested Kodaimati in July on two counts of abandoning a watercraft. Report with photos: https://www.postandcourier.com/charleston_sc/navy-vessel-artificial-reef-sunk-charleston/article_0d1f7eeb-2f53-4d85-9a60-64b37b59916b.html
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