KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The F/V Midnite Sun is beached on the south side of Shelikof Strait about 36 miles northwest of Kodiak. Coast Guard Petty Officer Jonathan Lally photo
Efforts are underway to remove the fuel from an 86-foot fishing boat that ran aground on Afognak Island. The five-man crew of the Midnite Sun was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter early Friday after the vessel grounded in Malina Bay. The Midnite Sun was carrying 6,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 150 gallons of lube and hydraulic oil.
Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer David Mosley said the Coast Guard conducted an on ground assessment on Saturday.
— grounding1 :22 “They found that the … of the fishing vessel.”
Despite no signs of pollution Mosley says the rest of the fuel will be drained as soon as possible before the vessel is salvaged.
— grounding2 :15 “The Coast Guard received … weather permitting.”
The cause of the grounding is still under investigation. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation says the vessel grounded in an area designated as habitat for endangered marine mammals including the Northern sea otter and Steller sea lion.
The site is about 36 miles northwest of Kodiak.
