Sandy Point Sinks After Collision
The 163-foot long fishing vessel Sandy Point sank after colliding with the boxship Eurus London near Gulfport, Mississippi. The 16 crewmen on board the Sandy Point were thrown overboard with the 13 recovered. Eleven men were rescued by the pilotboat while 2 other were recovered by the Eurus London. The Coast Guard is conducting an air and sea search of the surrounding area for the 3 missing men. Six divers were dispatched to help with search and recovery operations at the site. The recovered men had limited injuries. There was a significant amount of pollution released with 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel, nets and other dibris from the Sandy Point. Environmental crews has been dispatched to the scene and have placed boom and are collecting in oil in the water. The Sandy Point rests in 25 feet of water. The Eurus London was towed by tugs from the scene. The boxship was headed for Freeport, Texas before the incident. The Sandy Point was fishing for menhaden which aslo known as “pogey”. The Coast Guard will be conducting an investigation into the accident.
