Although no one aboard a fishing vessel that ran aground off the San Mateo County coast early this morning was injured, the U.S. Coast Guard is keeping a close eye on the boat to ensure it doesn’t leak fuel and pollute the waters.
A 911 call relayed from a San Mateo County emergency dispatcher at about 1 a.m. alerted the Coast Guard to the stranded boat, which ran aground near the shore of Half Moon Bay, Coast Guard Chief Scott Brazier said.
Three people who were on board when the boat became beached were able to safely disembark, Brazier said, and there were no reported injuries.
A mix of Coast Guard units – including a helicopter, boats, and auxiliary units – responded to the scene along with local fire and police personnel, Brazier said.
For now, the Coast Guard is concerned by the environmental hazard posed by the stranded boat, namely that it could leak fuel into the waters.
“It’s still upright as far as we know,” Brazier said. “It hasn’t capsized yet.”
Brazier said the boat’s owner will coordinate with the Coast Guard in an attempt to salvage the vessel and prevent a fuel leak.
A dispatcher with the Coastside Fire Protection District confirmed that firefighters were sent to the scene, but said that those personnel left the scene at 2:55 a.m.
Patricia Decker, Bay City News
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