LA PORTE— Battleship Texas State Historic Site closed to the public Sunday afternoon after staff discovered a major leak in the iconic ship’s hull.

The battleship will remain closed until further notice pending damage inspection and repairs.

Staff reported the ship was listing 8 degrees to starboard as a result of the ship taking on water. A dive crew was deployed and several holes were found about 15 feet below the waterline today.

Divers are currently inspecting for other leaks while efforts continue with pumping water off the ship.

For updates on when the battleship reopens, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website.

UPDATE 6/13 10 a.m.: The Battleship Texas’ list is currently at about 3.8 degrees, improving from 8 degrees yesterday. Normal list for the battleship is 1.8 degrees. Proactive efforts are still ongoing with the continuation of patching vulnerable areas of the ship’s hull and pumping off water.

Photo Editors: Images associated with this news release are available on the TPWD Web site (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/news_images/).