Fishing Vessel Aground; Coast
Guard Working To Mitigate Pollution
February 21, 2008
Thursday
Ketchikan, Alaska - The 82ft fishing vessel Westward grounded
Sunday on a rocky shore in the vicinity of Point Ildefonso on
the southwest side of Prince of Wales Island. Crewmembers from
another fishing vessel in the area, the Confidence, rescued the
stricken vessel's two crewmembers.
The F/V Westward is
submerged at high tide on the banks of Prince of Wales Island.
The 82-foot fishing vessel ran aground Sunday Feb. 17th. Coast
Guard Marine Safety Detachment Ketchikan coordinated with the
Westward's owner to manage response.
Photo by USCG
The Westward, built in 1943, has two large holes in its wooden
hull, allowing it to be almost completely submerged at high tide.
The vessel carried 4000 gallons of diesel, 150 gallons of lube
oil and 150 gallons of hydraulic oil. Coast Guard air assets
observed a 2.5NM sheen emanating from the wreck. Because the
vessel was carrying 130 tons of bait herring from Ketchikan to
Klawock, it is unclear whether the sheen consisted primarily
of herring oil or petroleum products.
The F/V Westward is
submerged at high tide on the banks of Prince of Wales Island.
The 82-foot fishing vessel ran aground Sunday Feb. 17. Coast
Guard Marine Safety Detachment Ketchikan coordinated with the
Westward's owner to manage response.
Photo by USCG
After ensuring that the Westward's crewmembers were safe, the
Coast Guard focused on mitigating further pollution. Coast Guard
Marine Safety Detachment Ketchikan coordinated with the Westward's
owner to manage the response. Crewmembers from the fishing vessel
Josie J. volunteered to transport and deploy boom from the Craig
Harbor Master to contain the sheen.
The Coast Guard used federal
funds to hire Southeast Alaska Petroleum Resource Organization
(SEAPRO) to remove the remaining fuel and oil from the vessel.
SEAPRO's oil spill recovery vessel Rudyard Bay lightered approximately
2000 gallons of diesel from one of the vessel's tanks on Monday.
Work on recovering the remaining oil continued Wednesday.
The cause of the accident is
under investigation.
Source of News & Photographs:
United States Coast Guard
www.uscg.mil
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