On Jun 29, a 477-foot oil tanker, reportedly allided with three unmanned sailboats near the mouth of the Piscataqua River, near Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine. Luckily, all three sailboats, which were unmanned at anchorage, were damaged but remained afloat.
The Coast Guard immediately responded by sending lifeboats for search & rescue, and simultaneously made an attempt to contact the owners of the unmanned sailboats. The vessel has been anchored outside the harbor since the incident.
The Coast Guard did a thorough assessment for possible pollution as the tanker was loaded with vegetable oil. According to the Coast Guard, there is a 3 x 10-foot gash in the hull, and an investigation is underway.
The tanker was on its way down the Piscataqua River, reportedly plowed into sailboats at the river’s edge. It is assumed that the tanker failed to make a sharp turn and thus allieded with these boats.
“We sent our investigators onto the vessel to ascertain all the data that they can from electronic equipment and by conducting interviews with all the people involved and from witnesses,” Lt. Scott McCann said. The Coast Guard said there is no sign of leakage from the tanker, but a cleanup crew is standing by. The vessel will not continue on to England until officials are assured that the ship is safe for the crew and the environment.
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Source: Coast Guard News
