A fishing tender that sank in Duncan Canal near Petersburg last Wednesday does not appear to be leaking more fuel.
The Coast Guard, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and an emergency response company have suspended their search for the 71-foot Pacific Queen. The tender hit a rock and sank in about 40 fathoms near Lung Island, about two miles east of Kah Sheets Bay.
A pollution response vessel arrived at the scene last Thursday and spent two days looking for the sunken ship, according to a DEC report released Monday. The search yielded no sign of an additional fuel spill or the ship itself.
The Pacific Queen had an estimated two thousand gallons of diesel fuel onboard, according to the latest DEC report, but the crew reported securing the fuel vents before the ship went down. A light oil sheen was observed on the site on August 14th. The DEC report notes the search could resume if any additional diesel sheens are reported in that area.
The vessel was owned by Joseph Lykken of Wrangell and it was tendering for SeaLevel Seafoods, based in Wrangell.
