The US Coast Guard and the Boston Police Department rescued three crewmembers from a fishing vessel that ran aground near Green Island, Massachusetts, on the morning (local time) of Friday, April 11.
At 07:46, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Boston received a broken radio transmission from the commercial fishing vessel Eileen Rita, homeported in New Bedford, Massachusetts. They established contact with the captain and confirmed the vessel had run aground.
Coast Guard Stations Point Allerton and Boston, along with the Boston Police and Fire Departments, quickly responded.
A Boston Police vessel and two coast guard boats rescued the captain and two crewmembers. All three were safely transported to shore with no reported injuries.
While monitoring Eileen Rita, coast guard personnel observed the vessel begin to list and discharge diesel fuel and oil.
The vessel carried a maximum of 4,000 gallons (15,000 litres) of diesel fuel and 50 gallons (190 litres) of lubricating oil, though the discharge rate is unknown.
The coast guard has been collaborating with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and other state agencies to address the grounding and mitigate environmental impacts.
"The coast guard is working closely with the responsible party to mitigate fuel discharge," said Lieutenant Commander Alfred Betts, public affairs officer for Sector Boston. "Simultaneously, methods to safely remove the vessel from the island are being evaluated.
"The contracted oil recovery organisation is deploying absorbent boom to mitigate the spread of spilled fuel. Contracted divers are assessing the vessel to plan a path forward."
Mariners near Green Island are urged to monitor Sector Boston’s safety marine information broadcast on VHF Channel 22A for navigation updates around the grounded vessel.