The Coast Guard is reporting that a 40-foot fishing vessel that caught fire Monday around noon has sunk.
In an email to CHEK, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard said the vessel sunk around 8 p.m.
“The CCG Station French Creek crew reported that the fishing vessel had sunk in about 300 ft of water and that the majority of hydrocarbons had burnt off prior to the vessel going down,” an emailed statement said. “There were bits of burnt debris on the water and a minimal non-recoverable sheen observed at the time.”
The Coast Guard is on scene today assessing the situation.
The fire, which cause is unknown, started around noon on Monday and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre rescued the two people on board.
The Coast Guard’s French Creek station was tasked to transport the two people to shore and transfer them to an ambulance.
“The CCG French Creek station crew then returned to the scene to standby and maintain a watch on the burning vessel,” the email statement said. “They also ensured mariners stayed away from the area for safety reasons. The burning vessel was approximately one nautical mile from the beach.”
The vessel had diesel and propane tanks on board that continued to burn throughout the day.
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