Cleanup Underway In Gig Harbor After Boat Sinks

GIG HARBOR, WA - A boat that sunk in Gig Harbor on Tuesday spilled diesel fuel into the water, but crews hired by the U.S. Coast Guard are on scene tending to the cleanup, authorities said Thursday.

Lisa Copeland, a spokesperson for the state Department of Ecology, said that the cleanup started on Tuesday with divers pumping about five gallons of diesel fuel out of the boat's tanks. However, the cleanup had to stop temporarily because the boat drifted underneath the dock, which was dangerous for the divers.

Gig Harbor police and firefighters applied absorbent to the area soon after the spill was reported, which helped minimize the diesel leakage. The coast guard had to take control of the cleanup because authorities could not locate the owner. The sunken boat is located at a private dock.

Copeland said the amount of diesel that spilled was small, and there's a sleeve in place around it to prevent the fuel from drifting with the tides and wind.

Images courtesy Washington Department of Ecology