A Coast Guard Station Juneau boatcrew and members of the Sector Juneau response department deploy containment boom around the sunken tug Challenger. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Grant DeVuyst)
JUNEAU, Alaska — Coast Guard Sector Juneau personnel responded to the sinking of the 96-foot tug Challenger in Juneau’s Gastineau Channel, Sunday.
Sector Juneau responders have deployed 400-feet of containment boom at the site of the sinking and are monitoring for further signs of pollution.
Sector Juneau command center watchstanders received the report of the sinking vessel Saturday afternoon and began broadcasting a Notice to Mariners to warn local vessel operators of the hazard to navigation in the channel.
Sector Juneau response personnel opened the pollution response fund to manage the case federally.
Southeast Alaska Lighterage and Global Diving have been contracted to evaluate removing pollution sources on the tug on Monday.
“Our priority is to minimize the environmental impact of the sinking while we work to establish ownership and plan for salvage,” said Lt. Mickey Sanders, chief of incident management, Sector Juneau. “Our responders are working with local contractors to safely remove this hazard to navigation from Gastineau Channel.”
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
