VALDEZ, Alaska — After almost three months underwater, the fishing vessel Fate Hunter was successfully lifted, refloated and towed to Cordova Tuesday.
Following the grounding of the fishing vessel near Shoup Bay on Aug. 11, Alaska Marine Response and Alaska Chaudux deployed boom, removed all recoverable fuel, hydraulic and lube oils and stabilized the Fate Hunter in preparation for salvage operations to remove the vessel from the rock ledge on which it rested.
In early September, with concurrence of state and federal agencies, Alaska Marine Response macerated and disposed of the Fate Hunter’s 150,000 pounds of salmon cargo to assist in lifting the vessel.
A combination of significant weather and challenging topography prevented conventional methods of lifting and dewatering from being successful. With a favorable break in the weather and approval from the Coast Guard and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Global Diving and Salvage, Inc. utilized a crane aboard the deck barge Salvation to lift the Fate Hunter off the ocean floor on Oct. 25 so the vessel could be dewatered and refloated the following day.
After a short weather delay, Alaska Marine Response utilized the tug Oswell Foss, with assistance from the fishing vessels Alena K and Chilkat, to successfully tow the Fate Hunter to Cordova.
The Fate Hunter is homeported in Astoria, Ore. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
