Tanker Disaster Near-miss, Beach Watch Prepared

Tanker passes under bridge.
Photo: USGS

By Nina Bubert

On an unassuming Tuesday evening in late January, the oil tanker Overseas Cleliamar lost power just outside the Golden Gate Bridge.  With a 3 knot current heading out the Gate and unable to anchor in the deep strait, the ship was forced dangerously close to the rocky cliffs in the Marin Headlands. 

A distress call was made to the Coast Guard at 5:22 pm as onlookers watched the potential disaster unfold.  A Coast Guard helicopter was quickly on scene to determine if there was any pollution being spilled out into the bay.

Soon after, the Coast Guard alerted Sanctuary staff to the situation.  With the Cosco Busan incident a near memory, swift action was taken.  Shannon Lyday, Ecosystem Monitoring Manager at FMSA, was contacted to asses the situation and determine the necessary actions.

Shannon manages the Beach Watch program which was heavily involved during the Cosco Busan oil spill.  It was clear from that disaster that Beach Watch had dedicated and trained volunteers that could be called upon to do surveys when and where they were needed.

The beach segments to be surveyed were chosen and volunteers were contacted that evening, just hours after the incident.  Staff and volunteers mobilized and at dawn the next morning were surveying Rodeo Beach and Kirby Cove in Marin County, and Baker Beach and China Beach in San Francisco. 

The tanker had fortunately already unloaded its cargo, which was petroleum. Nevertheless, this could have been a disaster because the ship carried a “full tank of gas” for its next destination in Ecuador.  The ship avoided hitting anything and was towed in for repairs.

Even though the Beach Watch surveys documented no oil, they were not in-vain.  Once again, Beach Watch showed they could be depended on. Volunteers and staff acted quickly, knew what to do, and were prepared in the face of an impending disaster.

 

Photo: Beach Watch volunteer monitoring beach