Diesel spill threatens protected area

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Published Feb 28, 2014

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Cape Town - A 10 000-litre diesel spill was threatening about 4 000 penguins near the Betty’s Bay Marine Protected Area after a Hout Bay-based crayfish boat ran aground early on Thursday.

The vessel Connect, also believed to be carrying 80 litres of engine oil, ran aground 5km from the Stony Point penguin colony.

The Connect had eight men on board when it hit the rocks at 4am.

 

National Sea Rescue Institute spokesman Craig Lambinon said five of the crew jumped aboard a life raft to safety and three stayed on board.

They later tried to jump to safety, but one man, a 43-year-old, believed to be from Strandfontein, went missing.

Emergency Medical Services, Fire and Rescue and the police diving unit searched for the missing man, but Skymed helicopter personnel found his body washed up against the rocks.

A seabird and animal rescue team was stationed on Thursday to observe the seabirds for diesel contamination, said CapeNature spokesman Justin Lawrence.

The area is home to more than 400 nests of various seabirds.

“What makes the situation dangerous is the fact that the diesel is not visible, therefore we cannot determine how far it has spread. We are trying to rescue as many penguins and seabirds as we can,” Lawrence said.

Rescuers cordoned off the penguin colony with fences about 5km from the spill yesterday.

The fences would in turn steer the penguins away from the contaminated water and on shore, where they would be safe, Lawrence said.

The spill was also being assessed for environmental control by the SA Maritime Safety Authority, CapeNature, the Overstrand Municipality and Western Cape Disaster Risk Management.

No birds had been affected yet and the Stony Point penguin colony area would remain closed to the public until further notice.

 

The dead man’s identity was being withheld until his family had been told, said Lambinon. The police had opened an inquest docket.

 

“It is believed that he suffered fatal head injuries,” said EMS spokesman Robert Daniels.

He said the seven others were treated for minor injuries. - Cape Times

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