MIAMI – Up to 10,500 gallons of fuel could be what’s stored in the scorched luxury yacht owned by Marc Anthony after it was destroyed by fire at a Miami marina, the U.S. Coast Guard said Friday.
The Latin singer’s 120-foot yacht, named “Andiamo” went up in flames Wednesday night at the Island Gardens marina on Watson Island. Anthony’s publicist said the Grammy Award winner wasn’t aboard the yacht when it caught fire. Two crew members who were safely escaped.
The Coast Guard is overseeing what they say will be a lengthy operation to remove the fuel and then lift the entire vessel from Biscayne Bay.
“We have a significant potential threat to the environment,” said Lt. Commander Daniel Delgado, Coast Guard Chief of Incident Management.
Delgado believes there could be between 7,500 and 10,500 gallons of fuel onboard.
The Fort Lauderdale-based company, Resolve Marine, has been hired to do the removal. On Friday, they sent divers to survey the ship.
“They’re looking at the construction of it, finding fuel vents and finding out the best way, the safest way to remove the fuel,” Delgado said.
It’s a slow process that Delgado said could take days, if not weeks.
According to a Coast Guard news release, $300,000 will be spent for the clean up. The funding comes from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which is in place to help tackle similar cases around the country. Funding for the trust comes from a fuel tax.
Once the clean up is complete, Tow Boat US will be tasked with removing the vessel from Biscayne Bay.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the fire.