JUNEAU, Alaska – Divers from Global Offshore Diving and Salvage Inc. continue dive operations aboard the Princess Kathleen to assess remaining fuel levels aboard the sunken vessel.
Contracted divers are drilling into the ship’s fuel tanks to determine the contents and approximate amount of fuel remaining aboard. The divers plug the created holes to minimize any potential impact to the environment and to allow for future access to the tank if deemed necessary.
A unified command has been established between the Coast Guard and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to assess the vessel and determine if fuel remaining aboard poses a threat to the maritime environment.
The Princess Kathleen sank off of Point Lena, more than 15-miles north of Juneau after running aground in 1952. The vessel which came to rest more than 120-feet below the surface has become a popular diving attraction in Southeast Alaska.
