Capsized Vessel Off Fishers Island Leaking Fuel

FISHERS ISLAND, NY — Days after two fishermen were saved in a dramatic rescue just one minute before their vessel capsized off Fishers Island, the boat is leaking fuel into the harbor, according to the United States Coast Guard.

Lt. Alaina Fagan, public affairs officer for Coast Guard Sector Long Island, said that there's been "sheening" detected on the surface of the water near the vessel. Sheening, she explained, can be seen when the water takes on different hues.

"We have been on the scene for three days," Fagan said. "The vessel is not continuously sheening." When the USCG attached two new anchors to assure that the boat was tethered securely in place, that stirred up some new sheening, she said. "We are not sure where the point source is. We plugged all the fuel vents where fuel would normally escape from." The fuel might just be residual or from a container on the vessel, Fagan said.

However, she added, it does not appear that the fuel has caused any immediate harm. "We did a shoreline assessment and there has been no shoreline impact," she said.

The USCG also put a sorbent boom on the shoreline as a preventative measure, to absorb any fuel, she said, adding that based on the minimal amount of sheening, the USCG does not expect any shoreline impact looking ahead.

In addition, the USCG has been in consultation with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and learned that there are no "sensitive species in the area," so no harmful impact is anticipated to area fish or wildlife, Fagan said.

There is no timeline yet for removal of the vessel, Fagan said; the USCG has hired contractors "to explore the safest and most effective way to remove fuel from the vessel," a process that will involve engineering, she said, especially based on the boat's present position. "It's currently upside down with the mast in the mud," she said.

A total of five anchors are holding the vessel securely in place, Fagan said. "They are working with their engineers to come up with a plan, which we will review and check with our engineers for safety and accuracy," Fagan said.

She added that Sunday's rescue had the best possible outcome. "In this case, the crew members had their safety gear and proper communication equipment, so they were able to call in on the VHF and we were able to launch our boats promptly," she said. "Because they had the right safety gear — that's why they are alive today."

(Courtesy United States Coast Guard)

The two commercial fishermen were rescued after they abandoned their sinking vessel near Fishers Island Sunday morning, according to the USCG.

Crewmembers from Coast Guard Station New London rescued the pair; at 7:30 a.m., watchstanders at Sector Long Island Sound received a radio call from the crew of a 55-foot commercial fishing vessel out of Hampton Bays, stating their boat was taking on water in one of their fish holds, the Coast Guard said.

The command center issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a Coast Guard Station Montauk and Station New London rescue boatcrew, the USCG said.

The two people donned survival suits and the fishing vessel maintained a northwesterly course toward the Fishers Island area due to the 8 to 10 foot seas, the USCG said.

At 8:20 a.m., the rescue crew from Montauk arrived on scene; they escorted the vessel and at 9:15 a.m., the Station New London crew, aboard a 45-foot response boat-medium, arrived to help the fishing vessel, the USCG said.

The Montauk crew returned to base and the New London crew passed over a dewatering pump to the crewmembers aboard the distressed vessel, the USCG added. The pump was unable to keep up with the rate of flooding and at 9:30 a.m., the two crewmembers abandoned ship and were quickly picked up by the rescue crew, the USCG said.

In a dramatic turn, the boat capsized within one minute of the crew evacuating the vessel, the USCG said.

The two rescued fishermen were taken back to Station New London with no medical concerns.
The fishing vessel was homeported in Hampton Bays and sank in about 60-foot deep water, the USCG said.

"This incident highlights how critical it is to have appropriate safety gear, emergency radio beacons, life jackets, and survival suits," said Lt. Cmdr. Jesse Diaz, search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. "Anything can go wrong at sea, even if you're a professional mariner. The safety gear saved the lives of these crewmembers today."

(Courtesy United States Coast Guard)