Grounded fishing vessel causes diesel spill in Alaska

The US Coast Guard responded to a diesel spill from the grounded fishing vessel Sea Ern in Izhut Bay near Kodiak, Alaska. Approximately 3,500 gallons (13,249 litres) of diesel has been released from the vessel into the water, although the Coast Guard noted this number is an estimate and subject to change.

The incident began at approximately 06:30 on Monday, September 1, when watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska and US Arctic received a distress call reporting that the Sea Ern had hit a rock and was taking on water.

All three crew members who were on board the vessel at the time of the grounding were recovered by the "good samaritan" vessel MS Kennedy, which responded to the distress call. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

Response crews have deployed an exclusion boom in an effort to control the spread of the diesel spill. The oil spill response organisation, Alaska Chadux Network, has been contracted to conduct the cleanup operations.