North Beach in San Francisco was temporarily closed on Saturday following an incident where a 58-foot fishing boat, carrying approximately 1,000 gallons of diesel, ran aground at Point Reyes National Seashore, according to official reports.
The grounding occurred on Friday morning, triggering a coordinated response from multiple agencies to manage the removal of the vessel’s hazardous cargo.
The vessel has the capacity to hold up to 2,800 gallons of fuel, with an estimated 1,000 gallons of diesel on board at the time of the incident.
A unified command consisting of the US Coast Guard and National Park Service was set up to manage the situation, with assistance 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.
Efforts are currently underway with the vessel’s responsible party and a contracted salvage company to safely extract the fuel from the boat.
During this operation, visitors were advised to keep away from North Beach due to its temporary closure.
According to the Coast Guard, there have been no reported injuries, active fuel leaks, or impacts on wildlife so far.
“Our top priorities are ensuring the safety of the first responders and the public, stabilizing the incident, and limiting environmental impacts,” stated Coast Guard incident commander Lt. Cmdr. Carey Lewis.
“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 is still being investigated.
