Unalaska’s U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit is responding to a distressed vessel near the island’s landfill.
The F/V Northern Endurance ran aground near Iliuliuk Bay along Summer Bay Road sometime Thursday morning. The Unalaska Fire Department responded to the incident around noon.
“The on-scene commander contacted the vessel captain and confirmed there were no injuries to crew members aboard, as well as no additional hazardous conditions,” the Fire Department said in a statement.
After arriving at the scene, the department released the incident to the local Coast Guard team. According to officials with the City of Unalaska, the 78-foot vessel had already arranged for a local marine salvage company to assist them in getting off the rocks.
Officials with Marine Exchange of Alaska, a Juneau-based nonprofit organization that communicates critical maritime information like vessel tracking and radio communications, said they weren't sure of the cause of the incident, but the vessel’s track line followed a fairly straight path after turning to come into Dutch Harbor. They said the vessel could have run aground for a number of reasons, including mechanical errors, human errors, or issues with the navigation system.
Summer Bay Road, leading out to the landfill, is currently closed.
The local Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit could not immediately be reached for further comment.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.