CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Coast Guard continues to oversee the removal of the grounded fishing vessel Nanami on Kiawah Island, S.C., Thursday.
The 77-foot scallop boat from Pennsauken, N.J., ran aground Friday morning after its anchor chain broke Nov. 13. Severe wind and wave conditions have driven the vessel high onto the beach. These conditions, coupled with progressively lower tide levels have made it difficult to refloat the vessel.
Charleston Marine Services, a company contracted by the Coast Guard to remove the vessel and any potential pollutants on board, attempted to refloat the vessel and tow it off the beach Wednesday, but was unsuccessful.
The Coast Guard, Charleston Marine Services, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and officials of Kiawah Island continue to work together to evaluate options to safely remove the vessel from the beach. Each of these options is being carefully weighed to minimize risk and any potential detrimental impact to the sensitive environmental area.
The Coast Guard remains focused on removing or minimizing the impact of the vessel’s grounding on the environment and has not turned over the vessel to DHEC and the town of Kiawah for removal or disposal. Containment boom has been placed around the vessel and no wildlife impacts have been reported.
