VIDEO– Efforts Underway to Save WWII Destroyer Taking on Water: ‘Failure Is Not an Option’

A World War II-era destroyer near downtown Buffalo, New York, was taking on water Thursday but not all hope was lost.

“Crews were working to keep the USS The Sullivans from sinking at its berth at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, where it had been open for tours,” CBS News reported.

In a social media post Thursday morning, the United States Coast Guard Sector Buffalo shared photos of the ship leaning dangerously to the side, noting officials were working to locate the source of the flooding so they could “de-water” the vessel:

“We’ve got a committed group down here. We’re not going to give up the ship and failure is not an option,” declared park president Paul Marzello.

He noted there may have been a breach on the hull’s right side the night before, adding crews were pumping out nearly 13,000 gallons every minute.

“I think we’ve seen the worst, but I don’t know,” he commented.

Aerial video footage showed the USS The Sullivans sinking in the water as crews assessed the situation:

The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park website said the USS The Sullivans was an excellent example of the Fletcher-class Destroyer, “the largest and most important class of U.S. Destroyers used in World War II.”

It continued:

USS The Sullivans, named after the five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, was the only ship in the Navy to be named after more than one person. She was commissioned in 1943 and saw action in the Pacific Theater, shooting down eight Japanese planes, bombarding Iwo Jima and Okinawa, as well as rescuing American pilots and crew from burning or sinking vessels. She also saw action during the Korean War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. USS The Sullivans was decommissioned in 1965 earning 11 battle stars for meritorious performances, and is now a historic landmark moored at the Buffalo Waterfront.

“She is also a place for reflection and remembrance for the five Sullivan brothers who died together, an act which is borne out in her motto ‘We Stick Together!'” the website read.

Last year, over $1 million was raised to repair the vessel’s breached hull and crews had planned to resume that work on Monday, according to Marzello.