A fire destroyed two yachts at Seaview Harbor Marina in Egg Harbor, N.J., early Monday morning. NJ.com reported that firefighters from the surrounding towns started battling flames around 1:50 a.m. and continued after the boats became submerged, Coast Guard Petty Officer Shannon Kearney told the news service.
Kearney said each boat contained about 1,000 gallons of diesel. A Coast Guard team and the Department of Environmental Protection were on scene to respond to the pollution, Kearney said.
DEP spokeswoman Caryn Shinske told the news service that the marina has contracted Clermont-based Northstar Marine to do containment work and cleanup. The Coast Guard and DEP deployed material into the water to absorb the fuel, Shinske said. The amount of fuel discharge is under investigation.
The owners of the boats are responsible for cleanup, Kearney said.
“Our goal is to ensure safe operations and to help mitigate environmental impacts resulting from the discharge,” Chief Petty Officer Christopher Brady, command duty officer at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay, told the paper.
There were no injuries. Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.
