USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor closed after Navy ship hits dock
The dock of the USS Arizona Memorial, seen in this file photo, was struck by a Navy ship on Wednesday, forcing the closure of the popular Pearl Harbor tourist attraction.
The USS Arizona Memorial, one of Hawaii’s top tourist attractions, has closed for at least a week after a Navy ship struck and damaged the memorial’s landing dock.
The popular attraction is expected to remain closed until at least June 4, according to the National Park Service website.
Almost 1,200 sailors and Marines aboard the Arizona died as the ship quickly sank during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. About 1.8 million people visit the memorial each year.
The USHS Mercy, A U.S. Navy hospital ship, collided with the dock about 7:45 a.m. Hawaii time, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. The ship was at Pearl Harbor for a training exercise. The Arizona’s floating dock was shoved about 10 feet toward the memorial, the newspaper said.
The ramp and handrails connecting the dock to the memorial were “mangled,” the Navy Times reported, and the park service noted that “it is not safe for visitors to disembark at the USS Arizona Memorial.”
While repairs are made, the Navy launches that ferry tourists to and from the monument will continue to travel to a location near where the Arizona rests.
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