LOS ANGELES — The Coast Guard lifted a 400-yard safety zone safety near Berth 302 at the Port of Los Angeles, Tuesday morning, following the recovery of two submerged shipping containers.
Three containers fell into the water during container ship cargo operations, Monday. One container was recovered shortly after the incident, while two sank and were marked for subsequent recovery. Commercial salvage personnel worked throughout the night to refloat and recover the sunken containers. According to the ship’s manifest, the contents of all three containers were listed as non-hazardous.
Divers located and attached flotation bags to the first submerged container. Once raised, crews towed the container to a designated holding area at approximately 10 p.m., Monday. The second container was recovered using the same method at approximately 8 a.m., Tuesday.
The safety zone has been lifted and the Coast Guard has deemed the waterway safe for vessel traffic.
The Coast Guard coordinated response operations with Los Angeles City Fire Department, Los Angeles Port Police, commercial salvage personnel and other partners to stabilize the incident, manage maritime traffic, and recover the containers.
“The safe recovery of these containers and reopening of the waterway was a direct result of the coordination and professionalism of everyone involved,” said Capt. Jarrod DeWitz, deputy commander, Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. “We appreciate the efforts of our local partners, divers and salvage personnel who worked together to safely resolve the incident and minimize impacts to port operations.”
-USCG-