LAPUSH — A 35-foot fishing boat has sunk in the Quileute Harbor Marina, leaving a sheen, and the Coast Guard is investigating how much diesel fuel was spilled.
No one was thought to be on board the 35-foot Nellie M when it sunk either late Wednesday or early Thursday, said Petty Officer Jonathan Klingenberg, spokesman for Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound.
Personnel from Coast Guard Station Quillayute River discovered the sunken boat during a morning bar check, Klingenberg said.
The marina’s harbormaster placed a boom around the Nellie M, and a team from the Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound Incident Management Department was traveling to LaPush to assist, he said.
600 gallon capacity
The Nellie M has a capacity of about 600 gallons of diesel fuel, but the amount spilled was not known Thursday.
“Thanks to the quick action of both Station Quillayute River crew members and the harbormaster, their efforts have mitigated the possible spread of pollution,” said Michael McKiernan, the command duty officer at Sector Puget Sound.
The cause of the sinking is under investigation, Klingenberg said.
The Nellie M will be refloated and eventually removed to some form of a dry dock, he said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
