Divers Working to Secure Spill from Golden Ray

The St. Simons Sound Incident Unified Command (UC) has divers working to locate and secure the source of an oil spill that occurred from the ro-ro Golden Ray on Monday afternoon. 

Currently, salvage workers continue to lighter the vessel and have removed over 106,101 gallons of fuel as of Tuesday. Skimming vessels are continuing to recover oil from the water while survey teams continue to monitor shoreline impacts. 14,700 feet of containment boom has been deployed to protect sensitive areas.

The 656-foot Golden Ray capsized with a fire on board in St. Simons Sound, Brunswick, Georgia, on September 8. There were 24 on board, 23 crew and one pilot. All were rescued. However, the stricken vessel still poses a major hazard to navigation for the Port of Brunswick. She capsized at the entrance to St. Simons Sound while departing the port for Baltimore.

“The Unified Command has maintained a posture to be able to rapidly respond to any discharges from the vessel, including by skimming, booming, and shoreline cleanup,” said Chris Graff of Gallagher Marine Systems. “We’re now using these preparations to implement a rapid and thorough cleanup of impacted areas.” 

Specialists continue to actively monitor air and water quality around the vessel, Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island.