The 180-foot long cargo freighter known as Voici Bernadette was towed to sea and sunk in 100 feet of water about 11 miles southeast of the Fort Pierce Inlet.
Technicians added 200 tons of concrete to the cargo holds and used cutting torches to cut six large holes into the hull of the ship. Seawater was pumped aboard which took about an hour to fill. At 11:46 a.m. the Voici Bernadette slipped below the surface.
The freighter was donated by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol after it was seized for smuggling cocaine into Miami from Haiti. Crews and volunteers removed anything from the freighter which could have caused environmental damage.
Lionfish fish attraction devices (FADs) were added to the ship by Vero Beach-based The Frapper.
Sinking coordinates will be final after a survey is complete, but it is located at approximately 27° 23.485’N and 80° 02.124’W
Coastal Conservation Association Website:
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MMPS Environmental Website:
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