SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard is responding Sunday to a report that the 87-foot vessel, Spirit of Sacramento, was taking on water in the vicinity of Franks Tract near Bethel Island.
Sector San Francisco's command center was notified of the situation at approximately 12:30 a.m.
Both people onboard safely disembarked the vessel using a dinghy. A small boat crew from Coast Guard Station Rio Vista escorted the boaters to shore. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco personnel monitored the situation through the night and made attempts to coordinate salvage efforts with the vessel’s owner. The vessel capsized during the night causing minor sheening, which was discovered by bystanders and confirmed by personnel from Coast Guard Sector San Francisco and the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office when they arrived on scene in the morning.
The vessel is anchored outside of the marked channel and does not pose a hazard to navigation.
The Coast Guard and Contra Costa County expanded response efforts Sunday, including hiring Global Diving and Salvage, Inc. to initiate pollution response operations. Global's priorities are focused on booming and stabilizing the vessel whilethe Coast Guard is continuing its initial assessment of the oil pollution.
The Coast Guard is also working closely with the California State Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response.
"While the Coast Guard is the lead federal coordinating agency for pollution response efforts in the coastal zone, this unified effort of federal, state and local partners will ensure all aspects of the response are covered, with minimal environmental impact," said Lt. Cmdr. Rhianna Macon, the Sector San Francisco Incident Management chief. "We will continue response and salvage efforts with our partners until the environmental threat has been mitigated."
The vessel is reported to have 600 gallons of diesel fuel onboard.