Everyone aboard is rescued without injury
All six crew members on the Speranza Marie, a 60-foot fishing boat, were safely transferred to another vessel after their boat ran aground early Thursday morning on Santa Cruz Island.
A 60-foot fishing boat ran aground early Thursday morning on Santa Cruz Island, but all six crew members aboard were transferred safely to another fishing vessel without injury.
Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, state and local agencies in investigating the incident, which resulted in diesel fuel being spilled.
Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach watchstanders received a report from Vessel Assist Ventura that the Speranza Marie, a fishing vessel with six people aboard and carrying roughly 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel, ran aground in Chinese Harbor on Santa Cruz Island at approximately 2 a.m. Thursday.
A private fishing vessel responded to the incident and transported the crew members to Ventura, according to news releases from the Channel Islands National Park and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The owner of the Speranza Marie has secured a contractor, and salvage planning is underway, according to the releases.
The Coast Guard Cutter Blacktip is en route to monitor the situation and provide a safety zone around the incident.
Responding agencies have entered into a unified command with the U.S. Coast Guard as the lead agency. Other agencies include National Park Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California Fish and Wildlife, Santa Barbara County Fire Department and the Office of Spill and Prevention Response.
Cleanup crews are on-scene containing and recovering the diesel fuel. According to the Channel Islands National Park, diesel fuel is considered a non-persistent oil, compared to a heavier bunker or crude oil product, in even the calmest sea conditions. Diesel fuel is known to lose 40% of its volume due to evaporation within 48 hours in cold weather.
No environmental impacts have been reported at this time, but crews are actively monitoring for them. According to the park, trained responders from the Office of Spill and Prevention Response have been put on standby and will be activated should they be needed.
For more information, see www.nps.gov/chis/learn/news/newsreleases.htm.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
