SAN FRANCISCO — Response crews pulled aground fishing vessel Lake Bay out of the active surf zone on North Beach in the Point Reyes National Seashore, Wednesday.
The unified command shifted the incident from an active emergency pollution response to salvage and recovery operations after confirming all fuel and oil were extracted from the vessel.
On Tuesday, August 25, response crews completed removal of approximately 1400 gallons of diesel fuel and 175 gallons of hydraulic and lube oil. All petroleum products were transferred to containers for proper disposal.
The unified command is coordinating with response crews to arrange extraction and safe off-site disposal of 30-50 tons of deceased squid from the catch tank aboard the vessel.
“With the incident site now stable, our responders are moving forward deliberately to determine the most effective path ahead,” said Lt. Cmdr. Carey Lewis, Coast Guard Incident commander. “Every step of our ongoing operations remains grounded in our core priorities: ensuring human safety and maximum protection for the surrounding marine environment.”
Point Reyes National Seashore, a unit of the National Park Service, sits along the shoreline of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Both sites are protected ecological refuges.
The unified command is comprised of the Coast Guard and National Park Service, with support crews and technical specialists from California Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Marin County Fire, Parker Diving, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Fishing vessel Lake Bay ran aground in the early morning hours of Aug. 21. The Coast Guard launched search and rescue crews and transported four crew members to Coast Guard Station Bodega Bay with no reported injuries. After the four crew members and the captain were safe ashore, the search and rescue phase was closed, and a unified command was established to respond as an active emergency pollution response.
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