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50-foot recreational boat sits beached near Padre Island Canals in
Corpus Christi, Texas, Dec. 14, 2015. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi and Texas General Land Office are continuing to respond Monday to oil pollution from a beached 50-foot recreational boat near the Padre Island Canals in Corpus Christi.
Friday evening, Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders received a call stating a boat participating in a holiday parade was on fire. The two individuals aboard were safely taken off by a good Samaritan and the boat was beached.
Saturday morning, Coast Guard pollution responders and the Texas General Land Office response officers arrived on scene after receiving a report that there was oil sheen observed in the vicinity of the boat. The owner coordinated efforts to ensure the boat was properly boomed and a salvage plan is being developed to minimize any impact to the environment.
“Coast Guard and Texas General Land Office teams continue to coordinate with the vessel owner to ensure that it is safely removed from the waterway. Safety is our top priority,” said Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Marshall, chief of the incident management division. “We have directed the owner to maintain boom around the vessel to minimize the threat of pollution and to protect our natural resources.”