North Beach at Point Reyes National Seashore was temporarily closed Saturday after a 58-foot fishing vessel carrying an estimated 1,000 gallons of diesel ran aground, officials said.
The boat grounded Friday morning, triggering a multi-agency emergency response as crews moved quickly to secure the vessel and remove fuel that could pose an environmental threat.
Officials said the fishing boat has the capacity to carry as much as 2,800 gallons of fuel and was believed to have roughly 1,000 gallons of diesel aboard at the time of the grounding.
A unified command led by the US Coast Guard and the National Park Service was formed to oversee the operation, with support from Marin County Fire, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response.
Response officials are coordinating with the vessel’s responsible party and a contracted salvage company to remove the diesel safely and reduce any risk to the shoreline.
During the temporary closure, visitors were urged to avoid North Beach while crews conducted the fuel-removal and salvage operation.
As of the latest update, the Coast Guard said there were no reported injuries, no active fuel leaks and no known impacts to wildlife.
“Our top priorities are ensuring the safety of the first responders and the public, stabilizing the incident, and limiting environmental impacts,” Coast Guard incident commander Lt. Cmdr. Carey Lewis said.
“Responders are continuously monitoring and evaluating the site for pollution and any potential risk factors so we can approach operations with intention to minimize environmental impacts.”
The cause of the grounding remains under investigation.
