As per the report a coast guard vessel has saved the lives of three fishermen off a beach in the Valdez Narrows Thursday after the Seward-based 58-foot fishing vessel Copasetic reportedly started taking on water and was intentionally grounded to prevent it from sinking or impeding vessel traffic in the area.
The report says that Jonathan Wilkie, Derrick Branson and Joshua Zimmerman, Seward residents, were rescued after Coast Guard Sector Anchorage Command Center received a call for help at 3:15 a.m. and immediately launched the Station Valdez rescue crew. after being confirmed that the ship is sinking the owner and operator along with the crew brought their vessel to the shore where they securely anchored and then abandoned ship. The crew used a small skiff on board to safely transit to the beach and await rescue.
According to the crew the Copasetic reported no more than 1,000 gallons of diesel and 400 gallons of gasoline were aboard the grounded vessel. There was no visible pollution reported by the Coast Guard rescue crew. The fishing vessel grounding has not impeded vessel traffic in the area, the port of Valdez and the Valdez Narrows remain open.Wilkie is arranging to safely remove the vessel from the shore.
