Sinking trawler safely pulled from Port Townsend Bay

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Quick thinking and fast action helped to prevent a sinking trawler from turning into something worse.

"Galaxy," a 38-foot wooden fishing vessel, began taking on water about one nautical mile off of Boat Haven Marina around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29. 

The owner of the boat, who was the only one aboard, called 911 and launched Coast Guard Station Port Angeles and East Jefferson Fire Rescue into action. 

The Coast Guard managed to remove the person on board the vessel and began efforts to dewater the vessel.

They could not keep up with how much water the boat was taking on, however, and it did eventually sink.

Luckily, the owner had already contacted a commercial salvage operation, which was able to bring the boat into the marina where it was removed from the water Thursday evening.

It was especially timely as the vessel was reported to have 100 gallons of fuel on board.

No sheen was seen on the water.

“It was a pretty quick case, honestly,” said Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Diolanda Caballero.

Caballero gave kudos to the owner of the vessel "for taking such quick action and making sure it could get salvaged.”