Coast Guard investigates two sunken fishing boats in New Bedford Harbor, oversees cleanup
by U.S. Coast Guard 1st District Northeast 6 Feb 2018 00:04 PST
The fishing vessels Dinah Jane and Nemesis, both out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, are sunk at their mooring in Homer's Warf, Monday, Feb. 5, 2018 © Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Schneider
The Coast Guard and local responders deployed early Monday after two fishing vessels sank while moored at Homer's Warf in New Bedford.
The two boats, the 65-foot Dinah Jane and 67-foot Nemesis, are from New Bedford. An activated Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) aboard one of the vessels alerted Coast Guard watchstanders to the incident at about 1 a.m. Monday, prompting Coast Guard investigators to deploy and alert local agency responders.
New Bedford Fire Department personnel arrived first on scene and found the fishing vessels sunken and tied together. They observed a sheen around the sunken vessels, and placed containment boom to mitigate pollution. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission were also on scene.
The fishing vessels reportedly have a combined fuel capacity of about 9,500 gallons. The Coast Guard is coordinating containment and cleanup efforts, and is investigating the cause of the sinkings.