A boat that sank south of Sitka Saturday is the subject of a cleanup after an unknown amount of diesel leaked.
The Haida Lady, a 52-foot fishing vessel, sank with no one aboard on Feb. 27. 2021 between Cobb Island and Silver Point, several miles south of Sitka Harbor, the Coast Guard said in a news release. Sector Juneau watchstanders were notified that an unknown amount of diesel was discharged.
Hanson Marine was contracted to control the spill and recover the vessel, according to the Coast Guard. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Sitka is monitoring the clean-up.
The submerged 52-foot fishing vessel, Haida Lady, surrounded by boom to contain leaking fuel, February 28, 2021. (Courtesy photo / U.S. Coast Guard)
“Our personnel are on site to monitor the clean-up operations, and investigate this incident,” said Scott Cichoracki, command duty officer from the Sector Juneau command center in the release. “We are assisting our agency partners to mitigate any potential environmental impacts.”
Hanson Marine personnel laid containment booms around the vessel and sent divers to set lift bags, orienting the vessel upright, the news release. As of Tuesday, 825 gallons of diesel had been pumped out of the vessel. The amount of fuel discharged into the environment is unknown at this time.
The cause of the sinking is under investigation, according to the Coast Guard.
The 52-foot fishing vessel, Haida Lady, partially refloated Cobb Island and Silver Point South of Sitka, Alaska, March 2, 2021. (Courtesy photo / U.S. Coast Guard)
• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at (757) 621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.
