The US Coast Guard deployed to an operation off Christmas Cove, St Thomas, in the Virgin Islands on Thursday. The 42-foot catamaran "Cool Change" ran aground and partially sank, causing significant damage to the port bow. The rescue services were alerted by a radio message on channel 16 sent by the sailing vessel "Starlight" at 8 o'clock in the morning. The captain, who was the only person on board, was rescued by the crew of the boat "Aquarius" and remained unharmed.
Environmental threat from leaking fuel
After arriving at the scene of the accident, the coastguard crew confirmed that the catamaran "Cool Change" had run aground and partially sunk. A film of oil had formed around the stricken catamaran, covering a large area. The captain of the catamaran stated that there was a total of around 260 gallons of diesel fuel in the fuel tanks. The pollution poses an immediate threat to the marine area. The incident management department of the San Juan sector is now coordinating further measures with the responsible party to contain the pollution and salvage the vessel.
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What happens to the wrecked catamaran?
The coastguard's emergency services took the captain of the stricken catamaran on board and took him to a nearby ferry. According to the Coast Guard, the person in charge is now planning to hire a marine salvager to remove the oil slick and salvage the vessel. Until these measures are completed, boaters and others are urged to stay away from the stricken catamaran as it is an active response site. The Coast Guard continues to monitor the site and coordinate the necessary steps to minimise the environmental impact.
