Damaged Yacht Spills Diesel; Fuel Is Contained
A $200,000 luxury boat nearly sank in Newport Harbor on Thursday, leaving a thin layer of diesel fuel on the surface of the water.
No one was aboard the 38-foot Epicure, and officials said the fuel spill was contained before it could spread and cause damage.
The yacht, owned by Thomas Getgood of Newport Beach, was found tied to a dock near Jamboree Road and Backbay Drive at 6:30 a.m. with its stern submerged and its bow sticking out of the water, according to the Orange County sheriff’s Harbor Patrol.
Cleanup crews used booms and oil-absorbing pads to prevent the five- to 10-gallon fuel slick from spreading.
“It was our job to keep the hazardous materials contained,” said Dan West of Naut-A-Care. “We constantly swish [the pads] around until they contain the free-flowing oil.”
If the boat had not been tied down, it probably would have foundered, said Ed Boyes of the state Department of Fish and Game, which handles chemical spills.
The accident is under investigation.
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