US Guided-Missile Cruiser Collides With South Korean Fishing Boat in Pacific

The US guided-missile cruiser Lake Champlain hit a South Korean fishing boat while in international waters with the Carl Vinson naval strike group, the US Navy said in a press release on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Both the Navy and South Korean Coast Guard are investigating the incident and the ships are being assessed for damage. The fishing boat was 60-70 feet long, the Navy said.

"No one was injured when the fishing vessel collided with Lake Champlain's port side, amid ship, at approximately 11:50 a.m. (+9I), on May 9, 2017," the release stated. "Both ships were able to navigate under their own power."

The Ticonderoga-class USS Lake Champlain is part of the Carl Vinson Strike Group which is deployed in the western Pacific. The Navy said the cruiser was conducting routine operations when struck by the fishing vessel.

The Carl Vinson Strike Group was the subject of false reports last month when US President Donald Trump indicated it was headed to the Korean Peninsula amid increased tensions with North Korea. The strike group was at the time en route to conduct exercises with the Australian Navy in the Indian Ocean.