Divers Discover 6-Foot Hole in Oil Tanker
Divers found a 6-foot gash on the tanker that leaked 30,000 gallons of crude oil into the Delaware River, creating a 20-mile-long slick that killed dozens of birds and threatened other wildlife, officials said.
Divers investigating the Athos I found holes in the underwater cargo tank closest to the rear of the vessel and in an outside ballast tank, said Jim Lawrence, spokesman for the tanker’s owner, Tsakos Shipping and Trading SA.
The company said something probably struck the tanks, but the Coast Guard investigation has not confirmed that, spokesman Lt. Buddy Dye said.
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