Fishing Boat Sinks In New Bedford Harbor

NEW BEDFORD, MA — A boat sank in New Bedford Wednesday and leaked potentially thousands of gallons of fuel in the water. The Coast Guard reported the incident and said potentially 7,000 gallons of marine fuel leaked into the water as a result of the sinking. Booms were set up to contain the spill.

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The boat was identified as the 62-foot "Challenger." A captain in the area reported the sinking at about 3:50 a.m. at a pier off Hervey Tichon Avenue.

"A crew from Marine Safety Detachment New Bedford arrived on scene, along with crews from New Bedford Fire and Police departments, and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and double boomed the vessel," the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The spill spread nearly 2 miles into Fairhaven, the Coast Guard said. The Challenger's owner hired an oil recovery service to clean the spill.

The cause of the sinking was immediately unclear. A Coast Guard investigation is underway.

Photos: Coast Guard crews at the scene of a boat sinking in New Bedford Harbor August 16, 2017. (Credit: Easton Police Department)