SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE, Va. – Crews in Smith Mountain Lake spent Monday trying to recover a boat that sank in one of the slips on Sunday.
The 32-foot cruiser was leaking fuel and oil into the water.
“We started hazmat right away, and that took us into the late evening of trying to contain and remove as much hazmat as we could,” said Ray Talley, deputy chief of the Smith Mountain Lake Marine Fire Department. “During those operations, there was enough fuel in the area that we had to close marina operations down.”
Hazmat operations continued Monday, and Talley said it looks like all the fuel has been contained.
He also said it is unusual—but not unheard of—for a vessel of this size to sink. The cause remains unknown.