1964 – Dec 17, Spanish stmr. San Patrick grounds on rocks/breaks-up, Ulak Isl., AK –all 32

–32 AK Bur. Ocean Energy Mgmt., Reg., Enforce. Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses.
–32 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1951–1975.”
–32 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A–Z.” (S).
–32 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Fear Sea Has Taken 32 Lives.” 12-23-1964, p.1, col. 7.

Narrative Information

Alaska Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: “Dec 17, 1964…Liberian cargo steamer…San Patrick…Driven ashore…On Ulak Island, 120 mi W of Adak…32 lost (all hands).”

Alaskashipwreck.com: “1964…San Patrick…SW [southwest area]…521 Foot…Liberian [registered] Cargo Steam…32 [lives lost].” (Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1951–1975.”)

Alaskashipwreck.com: “San Patrick (1964). The 521 foot Liberian cargo steamer (converted tanker) San Patrick ran up on the rocks and was lost December 17, 1964 on Ulak Island 120 miles west of Adak. The vessel broke up in heavy seas and all 32 crewmembers were lost. Only one body was recovered. The entire crew was from northwestern Spain. Lost were captain Julián Diaz Marcuartu, Alfredo Burgos Gastón, radio operator Antonio Herrero Monsalve, Antonio Julio Vilariño, Carlos Vazquez Lopez, Cesareo Martija Uriarte, Federico Escobedo Ricos, Fidel Escandon Araujo, Francisco Erauzquin Elexpe, Francisco Martín Rodríguez, Graciano Gutiérrez Celis, Jaime Barturen Gaubeca, engineer Jesús Maria de la Torre Ruiz de Asúa, Jesús Villalabeitia Líbano, Jose Angel Tejada Larrea, Jose Antonio Manterola Recagorri, José Manuel Álvarez Iriondo, Jose Manuel Arzá Bastineza, Juan Bello Seco, Juan Manuel Gordó de Llanos, Juan Rodríguez Caamaño, Julián Alberdi Gardiazabal, Manuel Lado Beiro, Manuel Lago Oliveira, Manuel Pais Garcia, 1st Mate Pedro Beascoechea Gorordo, Pedro Maria Ozamiz Frade, Ramón Romero Cubina, 2nd Mate Ricardo Alzaga Varela, Santiago Tellechea Asteinza, Víctor Manuel Sestayo Santiago and Vlaho Gjurasic.

“Mapping and Location: Southwest Alaska 52 02 40 N 175 54 W Chart 16012.

“Sources: 1. BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011), 2. State Times Advocate (Baton Rouge LA) (January 29, 1965) “Unknown sailor buried in Alaska” Pg 9 C, 4. Seattle Daily Times (December 21, 1964) “Freighter aground in Aleutians” Pg 27, 5. Michael Burwell research notes.” (Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A–Z.” (S).)

Newspapers

Dec 21: “Juneau (AP) – A Japanese-bound freighter with an estimated 30-40 crewmen ran aground in the Aleutians and there is no sign of survivors, the Coast Guard reported Monday. The 17th Coast Guard District said a Navy plane from the Adak Naval Station sighted the ‘badly battered’ freighter, the San Patrick, aground on Ulak Island, about 120 miles west of Adak. The Navy pilot sighted the ship yesterday.

“The San Patrick, a 521-foot converted tanker, is registered to Manor Investment Co. of Monrovia, Liberia. She was carrying wheat and cattle feed from Vancouver, B.C. to Yokohama.

“Fierce winds of 30 to 40 knots [34.5-46.0 mph] and heavy rains lashed the area and search craft reported waves 20 to 30 feet tall tumbled the sea.

“The Westland Marine Shipping Company of New York advised the Coast Guard here it had no names of any of the people aboard the 10,000-ton vessel. It had four lifeboats, one powered.

“The San Patrick sent three SOS calls, the first picked up by the Navy at Kodiak at 10:40 p.m. (PST) Thursday. It was received also by a Japanese ore carrier, the 595-foot Tetsuho Maru, which radioed she was in the area and en route to the scent. The San Patrick reported she was ‘grounded by the bow’ and gave her position as off Amatignak Island, approximately 12 miles south-southwest of Ulak.

“The Navy search plane located the San Patrick at 2 p.m. (PST) Sunday. She left Vancouver Dec 9. Despite the high seas and limited visibility, surface and aircraft searched the area principally to the northwest of Ula,, where the lifeboats could have been carried by the elements.

“The group of islands around Ulak were scanned without the discovery of any signs of life. The fleet tug Tawakoni, a 205-footer which had been in the search, returned to her base at Adak.

“The fact that the San Patrick was in distress and aground was not known generally until the Coast Guard made the news public here this morning.” (The Daily Sentinel, Sitka, AK. “Freighter with crew of 30-40 aground in Aleutians. No sign of survivors, C.G. says.” 12-21-1964, p. 1, col. 1.)

Dec 23: “Icy winter seas spewing spray 200 feet in the air have erased all traces of 32 crewmen who manned the Liberian-registered vessel San Patrick. The 521-foot ship went aground Thursday on a reef off Ulak, a small desolate island in the Aleutians, 112 miles southwest of Adak. ‘We are continuing the search for the crew, but the ship has already completely broken up with much of the remains washed up on the beach,’ Lt. Dave Henry, public information officer at Adak told the News-Miner late yesterday. ‘The opinion here is that no one could have possibly lived through a break-up like this. We spotted oil slick and debris two miles from Ulak Island. The water has been exceedingly rough with swells 25 to 30 feet high and the water temperature if 37 degrees F.’….

“Ulak is 10 by 5 miles in diameter and barren rock. The island is located about 100 miles north of the Great Circle Route ships use to travel to Japan. There was no indication as to why the vessel was that far from the normal shipping lane….” (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Fear Sea Has Taken 32 Lives.” 12-23-1964, p.1, col. 7.)

Sources

Alaska Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement. Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses. Accessed 11-28-2021 at: https://www.boem.gov/about-boem/alaskas-worst-all-time-shipping-losses

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1951-1975.” Accessed 11-28-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/alaska-shipwrecks-1729-2012/alaska-shipwrecks-1951-1970/

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A–Z.” (S). Accessed 11-26-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/shipwrecks-a-z/alaska-shipwrecks-s/

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Fear Sea Has Taken 32 Lives.” 12-23-1964, p.1, col. 7. Accessed 11-28-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/fairbanks-daily-news-miner-dec-23-1964-p-1/

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK. “Freighter Wrecked off Adak,” 12-22-1964, p. 1, col. 2. Accessed 11-28-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/fairbanks-daily-news-miner-dec-22-1964-p-1/

The Daily Sentinel, Sitka, AK. “Freighter with crew of 30-40 aground in Aleutians. No sign of survivors, C.G. says.” 12-21-1964, p. 1, col. 1. Accessed 11-28-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-sitka-sentinel-dec-21-1964-p-1/