Sunken tugboat will soon be pulled out of North Arm of Fraser River

by Charlie Smith on August 15th, 2018 at 7:13 AM

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The capsized George H. Ledcor tugboat is expected to be retrieved from the waters this morning near Deering Island in South Vancouver.

The vessel, which is owned by Ledcor Marine, sank early on August 14 in the North Arm of the Fraser River after decades of service. All crew members were rescued and nobody was injured.

According to the company, a larger crane needed to be brought to the area to complete the recovery operation.

The George H. Ledcor was carrying a large amount of diesel fuel, and some escaped into the water, creating a rainbowlike colour on the surface.

The odour could be detected by those in the area.

https://twitter.com/LedcorGroup/status/1029466168065773569

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy website states that containment booms have been placed around where diesel had been escaping.

Underwater crews have plugged fuel vents to stem the flow. The Western Canada Marine Response Corporation has used a skimmer and collected absorbent pads.

This morning, the Canadian Coast Guard has reported a "significant decrease" in the amount of oil in the water.

https://twitter.com/CoastGuardCAN/status/1029698882958061568

Meanwhile, the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Environmental Emergency Program have conducted a survey and determined that there's "no indication of impact to wildlife at this time".

The City of Richmond has closed McDonald Beach Park and the Vancouver park board closed Fraser River Park.

Authorities are urging people to keep their dogs out of the water in the area.