Update: 1/3: See new photo at the bottom of this story of the boat after it was pulled up from the Bay.
Update: A Berkeley dive crew has been working all day to insert and inflate balloons to raise the boat that started to sink in the Marina this morning, according to Matthai Chakko, a city spokesman. While fire officials originally told Berkeleyside that the boat had been abandoned, it was not. “The owner is cooperating and working to have the boat removed from the marina,” said Chakko. “Absorbent booms and other material have been put around the main boom to prevent any oil or diesel from contaminating the surrounding water.”
Original story: A 65-foot-long abandoned boat called “Camelot” started to sink at the Berkeley Marina this morning, and officials are working to limit fuel from spewing into the Bay.
The Berkeley Fire Department responded to a 7:24 a.m. call about the abandoned boat and is currently at the scene, according to Assistant Fire Chief Keith May. Divers are assessing the extent of the fuel leaking from the slowly sinking vessel, he said. Fire officials have set up booms to contain any spills.
The fire department has also alerted the Coast Guard about the boat. The Berkeley Haz-Mat team is on standby, said May.
Tom Barr, who sent these photos to Berkeleyside, said the boat’s name is Camelot.
Here are photos of Camelot on Jan. 3 after divers had brought it up from the depths of the bay.
