Fishing Vessel Ran Aground Near Half Moon Bay

Photo courtesy of USCG

By Bay City News Service

A fisherman is working with officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to coordinate the salvage and removal of a 50-foot commercial vessel after it ran aground in a National Marine Sanctuary south of Half Moon Bay on Friday night, the United States Coast Guard announced Sunday.

The incident was first reported at 11:22 p.m. Friday roughly 7 miles south of Pillar Point Harbor, according to USCG spokeswoman Lt. Leigh Van Lear.

The Coast Guard deployed a rescue helicopter but the fisherman refused assistance and insisted on remaining onboard overnight.

Saturday morning the USCG deployed an incident management team, and they immediately hired an oil spill response organization to remove fuel from the vessel due to its deteriorating condition and concerns about environmental damage.

Around 7 p.m. Saturday, Parker Diving Service had successfully removed all the fuel from the vessel and USCG personnel departed from the scene.

The Coast Guard handles all fuel spills and hazardous material release incidents in the maritime environment.