Cracked steel in bulkheads could have weakened Alaska Ranger

By KIAL News

Seattle, WA – Two Coast Guard ship inspectors who surveyed the Alaska Ranger several months before it sank testified in a Marine Board of Investigation hearing Thursday that patches of steel near the stern of the ship were weakened, and had yet to be fixed when the ship set out on its final voyage. The affected areas weren't part of the hull itself, but investigators are asking whether the corrosion could have damaged more crucial parts of the ship. In Seattle, KIAL's Charles Homans reports.