Abby Louise Sinks
The 44 foot long fishing vessel Abby Louise sank in the Orca Inlet of Prince William Sound, Alaska. A nearby vessel Miss Emily contacted the Coast Guard that the Abby Louise was sinking with 3 crewmen on board. The Coast Guard dispatched a Jayhawk helicopter which arrived on scene an hour later. The helicopter crew lowered a pump, but the water ingress on the Abby Louise was too much for the single pump. The helicopter flew back to pick up two more pumps which it delivered to the Abby Louise. Even with all the pumps going, the water ingress continued to flood the Abby Louise. The three crewmen decided to abandon ship and were transferred over to the Lady Samantha who had arrived on scene to offer aid. The men were delivered to Cordova, Alaska. No injuries reported. Pollution is a concern due to the 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on the Abby Louise. Booms were deployed as a preventative measure.