Divers Pull 2,500 Pounds Of Bonnie G Debris From Seafloor

Divers surfaced some 2,500 pounds of debris from the seafloor during salvage operations where the 195-foot Bonnie G lays grounded just south of Cyril E. King Airport, officials said Tuesday.

Crews had removed roughly 2,100 gallons of petroleum since the cargo ship ran aground early Oct. 4 as the remnants of Tropical Storm Philippe passed over St. Thomas, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. No oil or other petroleum pollutants had leaked from the Vanuatu-flagged, Florida-owned vessel but more work was needed.

The 200-foot offshore supply ship Harvey Challenger left Louisiana early Monday, bound for the Bonnie G wreckage, where it will remove fuel. Coast Guard officials estimated the Harvey Challenger to arrive Oct. 22 but other reports have the offshore supply ship arriving Oct. 24.

Potential pollutants like batteries from the six cars, truck, trailer and two pallets of other cargo on the Bonnie G had been secured, officials said.

Coast Guard photos show the Bonnie G lodged in a rock and coral mound. An assessment over the weekend asserted salvage vessel activity nearby did not pose a threat to the coral present; however, salvage crews prepared for possible rough weather should another storm pass nearby.