09/03/2026
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TROPICAL STORM BERTHA LIKELY CULPRIT IN ARGOSY VI ROOF COLLAPSE, OFFICIALS CONFIRM
ORANGE BEACH — Scuba instructor Lila Harris' first trip to dive the Argosy VI on July 5 was four days after the successful sinking of the 408-foot, three-story ship as an artificial reef 23 nautical miles out into the Gulf.
Harris' second trip was just five weeks after that, on Aug. 11. She thought she knew what to expect. But as she submerged and got closer to what should have been the roof of the vessel, what she saw didn't make sense.
"I was just really confused because I was expecting it to have that white flat top... this is definitely different, and to me it reminded me of a sinkhole," she said. "The top or the roof, whatever you want to call it, had just pulled away from the supporting structures."
Last week, a dive team with the Alabama Department of Conservation Marine Resources Division confirmed that approximately two-thirds of the Argosy's roof has collapsed. The damage was likely caused by the added pressure of up to 15-foot wave activity from Tropical Storm Bertha, according to MRD director Kevin Anson, but he also said degradation like this is inevitable.
"It was not expected that damage would occur this soon," he said, "but we did expect that over time that the vessel would experience that kind of deterioration."
The dive team ensured there was no change to the Argosy's depth, which sits in about 120 feet of water. The top of the vessel must be at least 50 feet below the surface to maintain navigational clearance above.
"There's still some roof there, and it's still about 65-foot depth, the portion of the roof that is still intact," he said. "We have plenty of distance there."
Read the full story and see video at the link in the comments.
✍️: Micah Green / Gulf Coast Media
📷: Lila Harris / Aquatic Soul Photography & Micah Green / Gulf Coast Media
