Overloaded Boat Goes Under Near Wildlife Refuge

A private boat partially sank near Anaheim Bay and the Seal Beach National Wildlife Wetlands near the Pacific Coast Highway Bridge this Wednesday because it was overloaded with too much stuff, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Despite having 50 gallons of fuel onboard the vessel Carver, there was minimal spillage, said Adam Eggers, Coast Guard spokesman. About a cup of fuel leaked into the water, and it likely evaporated by noon on Wednesday. No cleanup was required, added Eggers.

“At 6 in the morning, we received a report of a partially submerged boat,” Eggers said. “The Orange County Sheriff’s Department put an absorbent buoy around the boat as a precaution.”

When a boat sinks or is sinking, it is the responsibility of the owner to take care of the boat, usually with the help of private towing company, Vessel Assist. It took a little longer for Vessel Assist to bring the boat up because it was so overloaded with the owner’s belongings, said Eggers. The workers at Vessel Assist had never seen a boat loaded with so much stuff, he added. The boat’s items were loaded onto one side of the boat, weighing down the boat and causing it to partially sink as it attempted to turn a corner from the harbor.

In addition to the U.S. Coast Guard, the Seal Beach Lifeguard Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol were called to the scene to assist.