US Coast Guard Responds to Capsized Vessel

The US Coast Guard responded to a 45-foot fishing vessel capsized in Port Valdez, Friday.

At approximately 6:15 p.m. Friday, Coast Guard Sector Anchorage received a report that the seine fishing vessel Elohim capsized while transiting Port Valdez with four adults aboard. The fishing vessel Infinite Grace recovered all four crewmembers and delivered them to the Valdez Small Boat Harbor. No injuries were reported.

The Infinite Grace towed Elohim to the Mineral Creek mooring buoy in Port Valdez late Friday night to await salvage. No pollution related to the incident has been reported, however the Elohim’s owner deployed boom around the vessel as a precautionary measure. The vessel has a fuel capacity of approximately 900 gallons. It was reported the vessel had approximately 500 pounds of salmon on board.

As of Saturday morning, Elohim’s owner contracted Alaska Marine Response, LLC, out of Cordova to assist with salvage of the vessel. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Valdez is coordinating with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and other state and federal agencies to oversee salvage of the vessel and ensure the safety and protection of the marine environment.

Elohim is homeported in Homer, Alaska. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.

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Press Release, July 08, 2014; Image: Dvids