Cadboro-Gyro Park Beach reopened Monday morning after it was closed overnight because of a fuel leak from a boat that had washed ashore.
On Dec. 5, the 55-foot-long concrete-hulled vessel washed up in a windstorm on the beach in front of Cadboro-Gyro Park, according to a news release.
Tyler Yager, Canadian Coast Guard response specialist, said the owner is believed to have been living aboard. After the boat hit the beach, he managed to collect a few things and left the scene.
A thin fuel sheen was visible on the water around the boat, despite the removal of two fuel tanks, Yager said. It’s believed the sheen is the result of oil draining from the boat’s engines, but Yager said it was such as small amount that absorbent booms didn’t seem to pick up anything.
Between the owner, local residents, Saanich parks staff and the coast guard, much of the garbage and loose debris has already been removed, Yager said.
The coast guard will continue to monitor the situation until a decision has been made about what to do with the vessel.
Salvage of vessels falls under the Canada Shipping Act. Unless given approval by the owner, or by the Receiver of Wrecks if the owner cannot be reached, local jurisdictions are not authorized to dispose of vessels that wash ashore.
