CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
A fishing boat, the Robin, ran aground offshore near the Kewalo Basin Park. One witness said the boat veered right, out of the channel and onto the reef, after passing the red and green navigation buoys at the entrance of Kewalo Basin.
|
|
Fish sunk with vessel that hung up on reef
Star-Bulletin staff
A 47-foot commercial long-line fishing vessel that ran aground on the reef outside Kewalo Basin was taken out to sea and sunk yesterday, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources reported.
Marine salvage company Cates International was able to pull the vessel off the reef yesterday at about 3:45 p.m. It went aground late Thursday night and the fuel aboard was removed.
But the vessel could not be stabilized to tow it to the Keehi Marine Center for repairs. The Coast Guard gave Cates permission to tow the vessel out to sea and sink it.
The vessel, which was insured, was taken more than 2.5 miles offshore in waters about 1,200 feet deep and sunk.
About 8,000 pounds of fish in the hold could not be offloaded safely and went down with the ship.
The Division of Aquatic Resources will conduct an underwater survey in the next few days to assess any damage to coral and marine life from the grounding.