The Victoria Fire Department was called to the Gorge Waterway Sunday to help contain a diesel spill linked to a sunken boat.
Mark Mastiliak, acting battalion chief, said a member of the public called from the Selkirk Trestle Bridge to report the spill about 10 a.m.
The department dispatched its fireboat and the four-person crew discovered the diesel spill near the public dock at the foot of Styles Street off Banfield Park.
The crew determined there was a sunken boat at the location, notified the Canadian Coast Guard and deployed booms to contain the spill.
Mastiliak said it’s believed the sunken boat had been attached to a derelict boat anchored in the area.
Coast guard spokesman Dan Bate said in an email Monday that the agency was notified about the sinking of a 35-foot pleasure craft near the public dock at Banfield Park.
A coast guard environmental response vessel responded Sunday and deployed an absorbent boom, he said. The crew returned Monday to assess the situation and reconfigure the boom and absorbent padding.
“Results on scene indicate pollution is minimal, however some sheening may still be spotted in the area,” he said.
