SEATTLE (AP) — Washington state and federal agencies are watching for any sign of pollution from a fishing boat that sank off the Washington coast with 3,800 gallons of diesel on board.
The Coast Guard safely rescued all five crew members from the 80-foot “Vicious Fisher” Thursday night before it sank about 13 miles west of La Push in water 360 feet deep.
State Ecology Department spokesman Curt Hart says a Coast Guard flyover Friday morning didn’t spot any pollution. The boat sank within the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. A diesel sheen could sicken sea birds and marine mammals.
Hart says the owner of the Bellingham-based boat has retained a cleanup crew. A salvage company also has been hired to see if the boat can be removed.
