Remains found on Insiko

By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Bones found yesterday inside the burned hulk of the refueling tanker Insiko 1907 could be those of a crewman killed when the ship caught fire in March, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The bones were taken off the ship by specialists with the U.S. Army's Central Identification Laboratory-Hawai'i and turned over to the Honolulu medical examiner, said Petty Officer Erica Ryan, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.

"Pacific Environmental company workers found them in a corner of the engine room," Ryan said. "They are small bones. Because of the fire in the engine room, there is hardly anything left."

Gi Hui Nian of the People's Republic of China, who was last seen in the engine room, was the only person killed in the March 13 fire, which crippled the ship and left it adrift for six weeks. It was towed to Pier 24 at Honolulu Harbor last week to prevent it from running aground on the pristine reefs at Johnston Atoll.

It was not clear what will be done with the crewman's remains, Ryan said.

Family members have said they would like his remains sunk with the Insiko if the Coast Guard scuttles it at sea. But Coast Guard attorneys have not determined if that is legal or ethical, and no decision has been made, Ryan said.

Pacific Environmental finished pumping out six feet of oily water from the engine room on Wednesday, Ryan said.

So far, 26,947 gallons of diesel fuel have been removed as well as an unspecified amount of lube oil, Ryan said.

More than 40,600 gallons of oily water also were removed. Workers are still pumping oil fuel out of cargo tanks, Ryan said.

The job, including disposing of the ship, is expected to take another two weeks.

No decision has been made on what to do with the ship. The Coast Guard initially considered sinking it at sea, but that was when it was far from Hawai'i.

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8012.