Courtesy of Kathy Zimmer Hallstein
87-foot paddle-wheel boat capsizes in Contra Costa County
U.S. Coast Guard: Boat ran aground overnight in Delta
UPDATED 9:30 PM PDT Sep 04, 2016
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. (KCRA) —An 87-foot paddle-wheel boat ran aground and capsized overnight in Contra Costa County, officials said.
The incident happened about 12:30 a.m. Sunday near Franks Tract in the Delta, which is southeast of Rio Vista, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Fisherman Mike Birch saw the boat before it sank.
“The guy pulled out and went to what we call False River (but) he didn't make it too far," Birch said. "We saw him stop and then my buddy Tim called and said, 'I think it's going down.'"
The boat, called the Spirit of Sacramento, reportedly took in water at the stern, which then flooded the engine room.
Two people on board jumped in a dingy and made it safely to the shore, officials said.
When the Coast Guard went to check on the boat late Sunday morning, it had capsized, officials said.
Roy and Kathy Hallstein saw the boat a couple of days ago out on Franks Tract. They snapped some of the last photos, showing it still afloat.
"I was amazed because it looked like a great, viable boat (Saturday) at (noon)," Roy Hallstein said. "Then this morning, I look over the horizon, and it was going down,"
Courtesy of Kathy Zimmer Hallstein
The boat is privately-owned and used to be a passenger vessel, officials added.
The Coast Guard is now working to stabilize the boat while they assess the pollution.
Officials said there is an estimated 600 gallons of diesel fuel on board.
"You can smell it. (It) was so bad when we went up there," Birch said. "There was a plume coming out and you could just smell it. (It) was awful."
The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department is also working on this case.
Many boaters are now wondering the fate of this sunken piece of history.
"I hope they can salvage it. I don't know if someone can restore it, you know, back to what it was," Kathy Hallstein said. "Maybe (it can be used) for a restaurant one day. (It) may be kind of neat."
This boat is not to be confused with the Old Spirit of Sacramento, which is a riverboat that was featured in a John Wayne film back in the 1950s, and is resting on private land along Garden Highway.
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Coast Guard responds to capsized vessel near Bethel Island
Sep 4th, 2016
SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard responded Sunday to a report that the 87-foot vessel, Spirit of Sacramento, was taking on water in the vicinity of Franks Tract near Bethel Island. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco’s command center was notified of the situation at approximately 12:30 a.m.
Both people onboard safely disembarked the vessel using a dinghy. A small boat crew from Coast Guard Station Rio Vista escorted the boaters to shore. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco personnel monitored the situation through the night and made attempts to coordinate salvage efforts with the vessel’s owner. The vessel capsized during the night causing minor sheening, which was discovered by bystanders and confirmed by personnel from Coast Guard Sector San Francisco and the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office when they arrived on scene in the morning.
The vessel is anchored outside of the marked channel and does not pose a hazard to navigation.
The Coast Guard and Contra Costa County expanded response efforts Sunday, including hiring Global Diving and Salvage, Inc. to initiate pollution response operations. Global’s priorities are focused on booming and stabilizing the vessel whilethe Coast Guard is continuing its initial assessment of the oil pollution.
The Coast Guard is also working closely with the California State Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Preparedness and Response.
“While the Coast Guard is the lead federal coordinating agency for pollution response efforts in the coastal zone, this unified effort of federal, state and local partners will ensure all aspects of the response are covered, with minimal environmental impact,” said Lt. Cmdr. Rhianna Macon, the Sector San Francisco Incident Management chief. “We will continue response and salvage efforts with our partners until the environmental threat has been mitigated.”
The vessel is reported to have 600 gallons of diesel fuel onboard.