Coast Guard responds to sunken pier in Anacortes, WA

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 13th District Pacific Northwest Contact: 13th District Public Affairs Office: (206) 220-7237 After Hours: (206) 819-9154 13th District online newsroom

Coast Guard responds to sunken pier in Anacortes, WA

SEATTLE — The Coast Guard responded Wednesday to a sunken pier and multiple vessels affected by high winds and tidal surges created by a storm that moved across the Pacific Northwest Tuesday. 

A 300-foot by 50-foot concrete floating pier submerged early Wednesday morning in the area of Lovric's Sea-Craft in Anacortes with three vessels moored to it.

A tug boat, the Hellen S, was tangled up in mooring lines and had to be detangled and re-moored safely. 

The decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter Acushnet was also tangled. A tug boat, the Garth Foss, was hired to assist by capturing the vessel and securing it in a temporary location.

A decommissioned 100-foot vessel, the Chilkat, was wrenched completely free of it’s mooring, set adrift, and eventually sank in the early morning. Near the Guemes Island ferry terminal in Anacortes. The vessel was empty of fuel and oil.

No persons were aboard any of the vessels at the time and no pollution has been reported.

“This was an unfortunate incident," said Chief Petty Officer Kevin Ouyoumjian, Federal On Scene Coordinator’s Representative, Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound’s Incident Management Division. “However, the immediate actions of the Lovric Sea-Craft marina prevented it from becoming a catastrophe. Also, the power of these winter storms should remind all mariners of the importance of securely mooring vessels at all docks and marinas.”

-USCG-