3 People Rescued from Grounded Boat in Boston Harbor

The Eileen Rita which ran aground in Boston Harbor. Photo/US Coast Guard

The Coast Guard rescued three people from a fishing boat that ran aground in Boston Harbor on Friday, April 11.

The Eileen Rita which ran aground near Green Island. Photo/US Coast Guard

The Coast Guard initially received a broken radio transmission from the fishing vessel Eileen Rita — homeported in New Bedford — at 7:46 a.m. that morning. After establishing contact with the boat’s captain, they confirmed the vessel had run aground near Green Island, a rocky 17-acre outcropping in the outer harbor.

Crews from Coast Guard Stations Point Allerton and Boston, along with the Boston Police and Fire Departments, quickly responded. A Boston police vessel and two Coast Guard boats rescued the captain and two crew members. All three were taken to shore with no reported injuries.

While monitoring the Eileen Rita, Coast Guard personnel saw the vessel begin to list and discharge diesel fuel and oil. According to the Coast Guard, the fishing vessel carries a maximum of 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 50 gallons of lubricating oil, though the discharge rate was unknown.

The Coast Guard worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and other state agencies to address the grounding and mitigate environmental impacts.

Boaters near Green Island are urged to monitor Coast Guard Sector Boston’s safety marine information broadcast on VHF Channel 22A for navigation updates around the grounded vessel.