The cargo ship sank in the Pacific Ocean 310 nautical miles (570 km) south of Shikoku, Japan with the loss of seventeen of her 29 crew.[1]
Liberia
The ore carrier sank in the Atlantic Ocean. There were 36 crew on board.[1]
13 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 13 January 1994
Ship
Country
Description
Norway
The cargo ship was wrecked on the island of Senja, Norway. Wreck delivered for scrapping at breaker's yard at Revsnes in Sør-Trøndelag in October 1995.[2]
15 January[]
List of shipwrecks: 15 January 1994
Ship
Country
Description
American Star
Greece
The cruise ship ran aground at Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain, after her tow parted in a storm. She broke in two after two days and was declared a total loss in July 1994. The stern section sank in 1996, the bow section in April 2007.
The Oslo-classfrigate ran aground on 24 January off the lighthouse after suffering engine failure. A tow was attempted on 25 January, but as the situation of the ship deteriorated, the tow was let go and the frigate sank.[3]
After her helmsman fell asleep at her wheel, the 91-foot (27.7 m) crab-fishing vessel was wrecked on rocks in a sealrookery on the south coast of St. George Island in the Bering Sea. Her crew of six abandoned ship in a life raft and reached the shore. A United States Coast Guard helicopter from the high endurance cutterUSCGC Rush ( United States Coast Guard) hoisted them from the beach and placed them aboard the fish processorBlue Wave (United States), which was moored nearby. The surf pounded Belair to pieces on the rocks, and she was deemed a total loss.[5]
The bulk carrier sank in the Atlantic Ocean 240 nautical miles (440 km) south west of Ireland with the loss of all 27 crew.[6]
6 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 6 February 1994
Ship
Country
Description
Lady Selket
United States
The 175-ton, 87-foot (26.5 m) crab-fishing vesselcapsized in the Bering Sea approximately 100 nautical miles (190 km; 120 mi) north-northwest of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Her crew of five abandoned ship in a life raft and was rescued by the fishing vessel Silent Lady (United States). The high endurance cutterUSCGC Rush ( United States Coast Guard) sank Lady Selket′s overturned hull with M2 Browningmachine gun fire, expending 600 rounds of .50-caliber ammunition.[7]
The 171-foot (52 m) crab-fishing vessel capsized in the Bering Sea approximately 120 nautical miles (220 km; 140 mi) northwest of Saint Paul Island. One crewman died, but the fishing vessel Gulf Wind (United States) rescued the other seven. Saint Matthew was last seen drifting partially submerged 110 nautical miles (200 km; 130 mi) west of Saint Paul Island.[12]
The anchor handling tug supply vessel struck a wellhead and sank off Thevenard Island, Western Australia. All eleven crew were rescued. Boa Force was raised on 6 April and subsequently scuttled in deep water.[14]
25 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 25 February 1994
Ship
Country
Description
Jody Ann
United States
The 82-foot (25.0 m) crab-fishing vessel sank in the Bering Sea northwest of Saint Paul Island. The fishing vessel Scandies Rose (United States) rescued her crew of five from a life raft.[15]
28 February[]
List of shipwrecks: 25 February 1994
Ship
Country
Description
Weisshorn
Cyprus
The cargo ship ran aground near at mouth of Guadalquivir River, Spain, following an anchor chain broke down in a storm and had broken in two. She was on voyage from Bangkok, Thailand to Seville, Spain. She was declared a constructive total loss and used as an artificial tourist wrecksite.
The cruise ship ran aground at Porkkala. All 1,258 people on board were rescued by helicopters and Finnish Coast Guard vessels.[16] She was refloated on 16 April. Later repaired and returned to service.
5 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 5 March 1994
Ship
Country
Description
Indonesia
The cargo ship capsized and sank at Surabaya. The wreck was scrapped in June 1994.[17]
13 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 13 March 1994
Ship
Country
Description
Cyprus
The tanker collided with (Cyprus) in the Bosphorus Strait. Both ships caught fire, Nassia was beached with the loss of a crew member.[18]
23 March[]
List of shipwrecks: 23 March 1994
Ship
Country
Description
Pallas Athena
Greece
The cruise ship caught fire and sank at the Port of Piraeus. The wreck was scrapped in 1995.[19]
The overloaded ferry capsized in Kilindini Harbour, Kenya, just 40 metres (44 yd) from port during a voyage between Mombasa and Likoni, killing 272 of the 400 people on board.
Australia
The prawn trawler, a former tug, capsized and sank at Eden, New South Wales. All crew were rescued by Rubicon (Australia).[21]
While under tow by the fishing vesselRoyal Baron (United States), the 36-foot (11 m) halibutlongliner capsized and sank in lower Shelikof Strait off the south-central coast of Alaska. Her entire crew of five survived.[12]
Carrying approximately 70 people attempting to leave Cuba illegally, the tugboat sank 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) northeast of Havana, Cuba, after reportedly being rammed repeatedly by patrol boats of the . Only 31 people aboard her survived.
The decommissioned Attack-classpatrol boat was sunk as a target by Royal New Zealand Air ForceA-4 Skyhawks west of Rottnest Island, Western Australia.[33]
The motor vessel sank at San Diego, California, due to neglect. She broke in half in 1995, and was refloated, towed out to sea, and scuttled in the Pacific Ocean in late 1997 or January 1998.[34]
September[]
3 September[]
List of shipwrecks: 3 September 1994
Ship
Country
Description
Greece
The ore carrier sank in the Atlantic Ocean 1,700 nautical miles (3,100 km) west of Cape Town, South Africa with the loss of all 24 crew.[35]
The 41-foot (12.5 m) fishing vessel capsized and sank in at the south end of Cook Inlet in Alaska. Another fishing vessel picked up two members of her crew and a United States Coast Guardrescue swimmer rescued a third crew member.[36]
The 105-foot (32.0 m) crab-fishing vessel disappeared with the loss of her entire crew of five – four men and a woman – in the Gulf of Alaska. A life raft from Fierce Competitor was sighted 450 nautical miles (830 km; 520 mi) southeast of Kodiak, Alaska, and about 50 nautical miles (93 km; 58 mi) from where Fierce Competitor′s EPIRB had transmitted a distress signal, but there was no sign of life aboard the raft.[46]
The decommissioned Sverdlov-classlight cruiser ran aground and was wrecked off Sørvær, Finnmark, Norway, while under tow to be scrapped in India. Her wreck later was scrapped in situ.