USCG Recovers Oil from Sunken Fishing Vessel in L.A. Area

Oil absorbent mat pads encompass the fishing vessel Bill Ketner in San Pedro, Calif. Oct. 25, 2022. U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo.

In late October, the U.S. Coast Guard completed cleanup efforts after the 70-foot fishing vessel Bill Ketner partially sank at a pier in the San Pedro area of Los Angeles.

At about 7 p.m. on Oct. 24, the Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach Incident Management Division received notification that the f/v Bill Ketner had partially sunk at the pier with a max capacity of 2,500 gallons of diesel onboard.

Working alongside Los Angeles Port Police and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Coast Guard pollution responders oversaw the successful clean-up operation, the Guard said.

The vessel was lifted and stabilized using eight flotation air bags. Once the vessel was raised to the surface of the water, the hull was patched and fuel removed, L.A. Port Police took possession of the vessel for further disposition.

“Our main priority of containing the pollution was met thanks to the cooperation and coordination with our port partners,” Petty Officer 2nd Class David Britt, a Coast Guard Marine Science Technician and member of the Incident Management Division, said. “The Coast Guard and our partners are committed to the protection of our sensitive Southern California ecosystem.”