Photo by U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacob Hylkema The 74-foot fishing vessel Privateer sinks approximately one mile north of Grays Harbor, Wash. April 15, 2016. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund was opened to assess the salvage.
GRAYS HARBOR - A Coast Guard boat crew rescued three fishermen after their vessel took on water and sank less than one mile outside of Grays Harbor.
The 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor transported the fishermen to shore, where emergency medical services personnel evaluated one of them for a reported heart condition.
The crew of the 74-foot fishing vessel Privateer called Station Grays Harbor watchstanders via VHF radio channel 16 at 2:26 p.m., stating they were taking on water through an 8-to-12-inch hole and preparing to abandon ship by deploying their life raft and donning immersion suits.
After arriving on scene, the MLB crew attempted to use dewatering pumps on the boat but could not keep up with flooding. The boat crew made the advisement to abandon ship and pulled all three fishermen off the sinking vessel.
"It was clear the fishing crew had conducted drills and were prepared for an emergency," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacob Hylkema, coxswain of the MLB. "They had marine VHF radios, a life raft and immersion suits. It was a terrifying situation, but their actions proved they were ready."
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River, in Warrenton, Oregon, have issued an urgent marine information broadcast for area boaters to steer clear of the partially submerged vessel, which is reported to be drifting north of the north jetty.
The vessel reportedly had no catch on board and a max fuel capacity of 6,000 gallons. A rainbow sheen was observed around the boat, but it has reportedly dissipated.
Pollution responders at Coast Guard Incident Management Division in Astoria have opened the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund to begin cleanup assessment.
The cause of the sinking is currently unknown.
Weather on scene at the time of the incident was reportedly an air temperature of 57 degrees and a water temperature of 52 degrees with 8-foot swells.
The Coast Guard advised beachgoers Saturday to stay clear of the wreckage from the 74-foot fishing vessel Privateer that washed ashore after taking on water and partially sinking near Grays Harbor Friday night.
Although no pollution has been reported, cleanup coordinators caution the public to avoid contact with any diesel fuel around the vessel or on the beach until the ship is defueled and salvaged, which may take several days.
"Our first priority is to get cleanup operations going as fast as possible to prevent environmental impact," said Chief Petty Officer Bradley Bennett, the federal on-scene coordinator for the cleanup. "Until that's done, we ask everybody in the area to stay clear of the wreckage and any possible pollution that might surface."
Personnel from Coast Guard Incident Management Division Astoria, Oregon, and Washington Dept. of Ecology worked together during low tide Saturday to assess the wreckage. Response crews are looking at all options to safely defuel and salvage the vessel, but efforts have been impeded due to the Privateer's location in shallow water about 100 yards from shore.
Anybody who observes pollution around the vessel or on the beach should report it to the Washington Dept. of Ecology here: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/other/reportaspill.htm.
For updates about the cleanup efforts, visit: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/SunkenFVPrivateerGraysHarbor/.