The HAZAR, a 120-foot Navy torpedo recovery vessel that spent four years abandoned in Bohicket Creek, finally found its purpose early Sunday morning when it slipped beneath the waves 32 miles off the Charleston coast to become South Carolina’s 612th artificial reef.

The sinking marks the first major test of the state’s strengthened Abandoned Vessel Law, which now carries criminal penalties for boat owners who desert vessels and damage marine habitat. The law’s teeth were on display earlier this year when SCDNR investigators tracked down and arrested the party responsible for abandoning the HAZAR.

For four years, the steel-hulled vessel sat derelict in the marsh, blocking water flow and threatening sensitive habitat. It leaked oil into the creek. It became an eyesore for residents of the surrounding Johns Island community. And it symbolized the broader problem of abandoned boats fouling South Carolina’s waterways.

The solution required extensive preparation. Before the HAZAR could be sunk, crews spent weeks at a Yonges Island shipyard removing fuel, hydraulic fluids, motors, and anything else that might harm the marine environment. Only the cleaned steel hull and superstructure went to the bottom.

The early morning operation required patience. A convoy of boats from the Department of Natural Resources, the Coastal Conservation Association of South Carolina, and Stevens Towing circled the vessel as it slowly took on water. It took roughly two hours, and several deliberate nudges from the tugboat, for the torpedo retriever to fully sink.

Now the HAZAR will begin its second life as habitat for snapper, grouper, and other species that congregate around underwater structure. The reef site is open to both recreational and commercial fishermen, as well as scuba divers.

The project marks the 25th reef deployment completed through the SCDNR’s partnership with CCA South Carolina, which provided partial funding for the operation.