Responders prepare to remove grounded fishing vessel off Honolulu
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HONOLULU — Responders prepare efforts Thursday to remove the grounded 79-foot fishing vessel Pacific Paradise off Waikiki.
A salvage team was able to approach the vessel for the first time post fire, Wednesday to survey the damage, assess the hull and inspect for pollution.
The vessel will be prepped today in an attempt to be towed off of the reef, Friday if conditions allow.
Nearly 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel and other debris was removed from the vessel and marine contaminants continue to be removed as well.
The vessel remained grounded despite several initial attempts to tow it from the reef located off Waikiki’s Kaimana Beach during favorable tides.
A safety zone remains in effect around the vessel extending out 500 yards in all directions. The public is asked to remain clear of the safety zone to prevent injury or impact to operations. The public is strongly urged not to attempt to approach the vessel.
A temporary flight restriction up to 1,000 feet will remain in effect until 9 p.m.
Partners in the effort include personnel in several divisions of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response, the responsible party, commercial salvors and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
NOAA crews are standing by to assist marine mammals as necessary, none have been affected thus far.
Weather conditions in the vicinity of the vessel are forecast as 22 mph winds out of the east-northeast with waves 1 foot or less. Rain showers are possible. These conditions are expected to remain through the remainder of the week. The vessel is somewhat sheltered from the wind by Diamond Head as it’s on the south shore of Oahu.
The Pacific Paradise is a U.S.-flagged vessel and part of the Hawaii longline fishing fleet homeported in Honolulu. Coast Guard response and Honolulu Fire Department crews rescued the master and 19 fishermen from the vessel late night Oct. 10, following reports that the vessel grounded off Diamond Head near Kaimana Beach. Those crewmen were released to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The cause of the grounding remains under investigation.
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HONOLULU — The grounded Pacific Paradise was successfully removed from the reef off Kaimana Beach Thursday.
The State of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources will assume the lead as the coordinating agency to work with the owner of the Pacific Paradise to conduct cleanup of the wreck site as the pollution threat has been removed. The state will assess any damage done to the reef and facilitate the next step in mitigating the impacts and rehabilitating the reef.
“This response has been long and challenging, but the professionalism and expertise of the crews that came together was nothing short of impressive”, said Capt. Michael Long, captain of the port and commander U.S. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. We appreciate the patience and support of the public, the diligence and persistence of our partners and are grateful the Pacific Paradise was safely removed.”
Suzanne Case, chair of the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, expressed her sincere appreciation to everyone involved for their patience, persistence and care in getting the Pacific Paradise removed from the reef successfully and safely. Case said, "These efforts are complex, and with the addition of unpredictable ocean conditions, the position, size and weight of the ship on the reef, and its proximity to one of Hawaii's most populated beach areas, it was important that we all worked together to remove the ship while minimizing risk to people and to the environment. DLNR is conducting a full assessment of the reef and any associated natural resource damage that occurred during the event.”
Response crews refloated the Pacific Paradise Wednesday and moved the vessel about 600 feet into the sandy channel before losing the tide. Crews conducted additional work to the vessel late in the day to prepare for the refloat and tow Thursday. That effort was ultimately successful in fully removing the vessel at 7:15 a.m. on the high tide using the tug Pi’ilani.
Just over a mile offshore the tow was switched over to the tug American Contender for the transit out to the EPA-approved disposal site 13 miles south of Oahu in federal waters. The responders are now in the process of sinking the Pacific Paradise in nearly 1,800 feet of water, which may take several hours.
During the operation to refloat and remove the grounded vessel minimal pollution entered the water.
The vessel originally grounded just before midnight Oct. 10. In the time since, local and mainland experts have worked diligently to remove the vessel as quickly and safely as possible with the least amount of impact to the marine environment. Responders spent the past weeks preparing and patching the hull, removing excess weight by pumping water and removing heavy spare parts including sheet metal and the rudder and adding additional buoyancy. The challenging environment and weather did slow or delay some work.
The Coast Guard is continuing the investigation into the cause of the grounding. That process will likely take several months. Once complete those findings will be released to the public and action will be taken to levee any fines or punitive actions that may be deemed appropriate.