01/25/2008: "Bad Week On The Coastline"

The Department of Ecology (Ecology) and Coast Guard continue response efforts in several incidents this week along the Washington coastline.

The first incident occurred Monday evening when the 69-foot fishing vessel Haeshin struck a jetty near Westport. The Coast Guard rescued three crew members before the vessel sank in the navigation channel in 30 feet of water.

Early reports indicated the vessel’s tanks contained at least 540 gallons of diesel when it sank. Attempts to remove fuel from the boat Tuesday and Wednesday were unsuccessful due to strong currents, ocean swells and poor visibility for salvage divers.

A state Department of Fish and Wildlife vessel, the G.H. Corliss, used its sonar technology Wednesday and today to try to find the sunken boat. At this time, the Haeshin is believed to have drifted from its last known location and has been lost in deep water. A work boat from the Coast Guard Cutter Fir is continuing the search today for the sunken vessel. No additional reports of diesel or sheen have been reported.

.
(continued from front page)
On Wednesday morning, the crabbing vessel Anna Marie became grounded on the north end of Copalis Beach. None of the four crew members reported injuries and remain on board.

The 78-foot vessel is known to be carrying 2000 gallons of fuel and approximately 200 gallons of other petroleum products. The vessel is not taking on water, and no fuel is leaking.

Attempts to remove the Anna Marie from the beach during high tide Wednesday and today
were unsuccessful. The vessel’s owners have hired a salvage company to pull the boat off the beach using tugs and helicopters during today’s high tide.

The Griffiths-Priday State Park on the Copalis River is closed to the public until further notice to accommodate equipment needed for the removal efforts.

The Coast Guard Sector Portland and Ecology have been coordinating the monitoring and salvage efforts for both vessels. Other agencies and parties involved include the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Quinault Nation, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Department of Interior.

A third incident involved the tug Joe Foss on Sunday evening. The tug, which was carrying 1800 gallons of diesel fuel onboard, reported taking on water from its location 10 miles south and 15 miles west of Neah Bay. Coast Guard Station Quilayute River sent two 47-foot motor lifeboats, and Ecology dispatched the tug Gladiator to assist.

The Joe Foss crew made repairs and got back underway but ran into further trouble Wednesday. The vessel sank in 210 feet of water off the Oregon coast near Tillamook.

All three crew members were rescued by the fishing vessel Kilchis before the tug sank. The crew were then transferred to a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Tillamook Bay.

The tug had 1,300 gallons of fuel onboard when it went down. A U.S. Coast Guard overflight did not reveal signs of debris or sheen.

"The time and effort spent training with our local, state and tribal partner agencies allows us to better respond to these types of situations," said Lt. Zeke Lyons, Coast Guard Sector Portland's Incident Management Branch Chief.

“Events such as these emphasize the importance of a strong, coordinated response from state and federal agencies,” said Jim Sachet, Ecology’s regional spills response manager. “We are keenly aware of how quickly an incident can turn into a major environmental disaster.”