SAN DIEGO — An investigation is underway after two U.S. Navy warships nearly collided in San Diego Bay Tuesday morning.
The close call between the two service ships was caught on video, showing guided-missile destroyer Momsen and dock-landing ship Harpers Ferry heading directly toward each other before the Momsen makes a hard left turn to avoid the larger Harpers Ferry, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Harpers Ferry, however, also turned to the left, but the ships still managed to escape a collision.
“Both ships maneuvered to safety,” said Lt. Samuel Boyle in an email to the U-T. “There were no injuries or damage to the ships as a result of those maneuvers.”
According to the video, the incident appears to have taken place in a narrow section of the channel between Naval Base Point Loma and Naval Air Station North Island, the paper said.
International inland navigation rules state that vessels approaching one another are required to stay to the right and pass each other on the left.
Harpers Ferry is homeported in San Diego while Momsen in Everett, Washington.
The U.S. Navy is investigating the near collision.