10:18On March 7, 1968, the crude oil tanker General Colocotronis ran aground on the east side of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas while transporting approximately 119,000 barrels of Venezuelan crude oil. The wreck severely damaged the hull, leading to a spill of 37,000 barrels about 1.5 miles offshore. Fortunately, the nearby tanker Esso Margarita was able to recover 72,000 barrels before pumping operations ceased. With no possibility of salvage, the General Colocotronis was ultimately towed into deep waters and scuttled.