BRUNSWICK, Ga. - Response engineers began post-fire assessments of the wreck and wreck removal equipment on Saturday. The assessment is likely to take several days. The VB-10000 unhooked from Section Three on Saturday and will shift away from the wreck to allow for continued assessments for any damage sustained by the vessel during a fire inside the wreck on Friday. Firefighting teams controlled the fire early Friday evening and immediately began boundary cooling operations on the wreck. No personnel have sustained injuries.
Tugs use fire monitors to control a fire inside the Golden Ray wreck on Friday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
An infrared image of the wreck shows the areas of high heat during fire suppression operations around the Golden Ray wreck on Friday. The response uses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to collect critical imagery for response operations from infrared imagery to aerial assessments of shoreline and marsh areas. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Multiple vessels cool the Golden Ray wreck using sea water on Saturday following a fire inside the wreck on Friday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Boundary cooling operations continue on Saturday at the Golden Ray wreck using seawater and a fire monitor system installed on the VB-10000 following a fire inside the wreck on Friday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Response engineers begin initial assessments of the Golden Ray wreck and wreck removal equipment on Saturday following a fire inside the wreck on Friday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
Aerial observers survey the Golden Ray wreck site during routine response air operations on Saturday. St. Simons Sound Incident response video.
The 150-yard safety zone around the EPB is increased to 200 yards for recreational vessels. The UC advises mariners to please steer clear of the perimeter to ensure the safety of our responders and the public. Any unauthorized usage of drones (unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs) around the wreck site and near response facilities is discouraged due to safety. UAVs are distractions that can lead to near misses, mishaps and injuries. Responders will report any sightings of drones and drone operators to local authorities.
ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE
Response personnel collect water samples in the vicinity of the Golden Ray wreck on Saturday. The response water quality monitoring plan increased to daily water sampling following a fire inside the wreck on Friday. St. Simons Sound Incident response photo.
The response environmental unit increased water quality monitoring to daily sampling operations in the vicinity of the wreck site. Safety personnel will continue to monitor air quality in the community using mobile equipment. To date, the monitoring efforts have produced zero detections of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
On-water response teams continue to mitigate very light oil sheens and debris observed around the wreck site. Natural Resource Advisors continue to monitor areas around the wreck site and the Environmental Protection Barrier for any wildlife activity or impacts. Survey teams continue to assess the shoreline to find and remove any debris or other environmental impacts. To learn more about the response debris program, watch this video Subject Matter Expert Overview – Debris Removal Operations
If you encounter what you believe is debris from the Golden Ray wreck, please do not handle the debris. Call the Debris Reporting Hotline at (912) 944-5620. Responders evaluate each report, survey the vicinity and recover any shipwreck debris in addition to their daily surveys of the water and the shoreline. If you encounter residual oil on the shoreline or in the water, please call the National Response Center hotline at (800) 424-8802.
The Unified Command (UC) developed a multi-layer approach for observing, surveying, documenting and mitigating any releases of oil or debris during cutting and lifting operations. Recovery personnel are on-station at the Environmental Protection Barrier, at the shoreline and on the water around the Golden Ray shipwreck. Responders are maintaining protective boom at sensitive locations around St. Simons Sound.
The St. Simons Sound Incident Unified Command is the official source of information for the motor vessel Golden Ray response operations.
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