Submerged vessel leaks diesel fuel

CHELAN - Sheriff Brian Burnett reports a partially submerged vessel on Lake Chelan initiated a “spill response” due to leaking diesel fuel Tuesday afternoon (05/07/2019).  Emergency management personnel from the Sheriff’s Office were notified by State Department of Ecology (DOE) just after 4:00pm concerning a 29 ft sailboat which was approximately 60% submerged along the south shore of the lake just down lake of the 25 Mile Creek USFS dock.

A DOE Spill Response Team responded from Yakima while Chelan County Emergency Management personnel responded to assess the situation and begin boom deployment around the derelict vessel.  By 9:30pm the vessel had been surrounded by boom and absorbent material to mitigate the diesel flow out into the lake.

An attempt to locate the owner of the vessel at several different locations in Chelan was unsuccessful Tuesday evening.  The investigation concerning what caused the large sailboat to sink is ongoing.  The boat will need to be removed from the lake which will require a contractor specializing in the removal of submerged vessels.  The Dept. of Ecology and Sheriff’s Office are working collaboratively to make this happen as soon as possible.  The spill is currently contained.