Salvage Work Resumes off American Samoa
Work to remove a commercial fishing vessel aground off American Samoa has resumed in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Gita.
Hazardous weather conditions on Friday forced responders to delay efforts to salvage the grounded 88-foot Taiwanese-flagged vessel Chui Zai Fa No. 1, which is split in half with the bow and stern portions sitting side by side in the surf approximately 300-yards off Leone Bay.
U.S. Coast Guard officials resumed work with local authorities and the vessel’s owner to develop a plan to salvage the Chui Zai Fa No. 1, which ran aground on Monday, February 5, after having reportedly been adrift since it caught fire in international waters in November 2017.
The Coast Guard said oil spill response equipment has been deployed after light sheening was reported in the vicinity. The vessel is estimated to hold approximately 30,000 gallons of diesel fuel based on the total tank and fish hold capacity.
