Around 6 a.m. on Sunday, in the waters off the Cyril E. King Airport, the crew from the Harvey Challenger arrived to begin fuel removal operations for the Bonnie G, the United States Coast Guard announced.
The cargo ship ran aground early Oct. 4 as the remnants of Tropical Storm Philippe passed over St. Thomas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. No oil or other petroleum pollutants had leaked from the Vanuatu-flagged, Florida-owned vessel but more work was needed.
Pollution responders and salvors spent Sunday morning rigging and connecting fuel hoses (black), air hoses (blue), and pumps from the Bonnie G to the Harvey Challenger. The fuel is being pumped with air compressors from the Bonnie G to three large tanks mounted to the deck of the Harvey Challenger, according to the press release.
All precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of the responders and that fuel doesn’t go into the water, the press release stated.
The Coast Guard implemented a ¼ mile safety zone around the vessel to ensure the responders have a safe area to work. Vessel operators choosing to violate the safety zone could impede fuel removal and refloating operations, causing a delay in the vessel removal from the area, the release stated.
After all the fuel is removed, the next step is to refloat the vessel safely and then bring the vessel in for repair or salvage. That destination is still being decided, it said.
To read the previous releases related to this response, please visit the newsroom.
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