The Coast Guard responded to a report of a grounded vessel the night of Feb. 9 at Sonoma Coast State Park in Northern California, two miles southwest of Bodega Bay, within the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders received a call via VHF-FM Channel 16 from the captain of the 58-foot commercial fishing vessel Aleutian Storm, reporting that the vessel had run aground and needed assistance ungrounding.
The captain also reported that all four crew members aboard were uninjured and had immersion suits.
A Station Bodega Bay boat crew and an Air Station San Francisco MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew was launched to assist the crew of the vessel. Sonoma County Fire Department members and a California Highway Patrol helicopter aircrew also assisted with response efforts, according to the Guard.
All four crew members were able to safely swim ashore after attempts to unground the vessel themselves.
After arriving on scene, the Coast Guard established a unified command with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response, California State Parks, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department and the vessel captain.
As of press time, Coast Guard was still continuing to monitor the vessel for pollution concerns while lightering and salvage operations were conducted. The fuel capacity of the vessel is 3,400 gallons, and a total of 1,500 gallons of diesel was estimated to be on board at the time of the incident, according to the Guard.