After burning for two days, the fishing vessel ‘Master D’ eventually sank Saturday, about 58 miles from Port Isabel, Texas, at a depth of approximately 380-feet, the US Coast Guard informed.
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Coho rescued the three-man crew from a life raft, Friday, after the fishermen activated their emergency position indicating radio beacon. USCG Marine Safety Detachment Brownsville personnel were deployed and coordinated initial response efforts.
An estimated 20,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 400 gallons of lube oil were onboard the vessel when it sank. However, no impacts to the shoreline are expected due to the distance offshore and the forecasted weather over the next several days, according to USCG.
The Coast Guard opened the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund in anticipation of mitigating any pollution threat to the environment. The incident is categorized as a major marine casualty.
The 68-foot Master D is a 122-gross ton fishing vessel homeported out of the Brownsville Shrimp Basin.
The vessel had all the proper firefighting and lifesaving equipment onboard when the fire occurred. This played a major role in ensuring the safe retrieval of the fishermen,
…said Chief Warrant Officer Steve Kilgore, Marine Safety Detachment Brownsville marine inspector.
The USCG MSD Brownsville investigation officers and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the incident.
