WAILUA — Smith’s Kauai employees on Wednesday utilized a crane and scoop nets to remove vegetative debris contaminated with oil from an oil spill.
“Things are pretty much normal today,” a Smith’s spokesperson said while juggling tours on the Smith’s Wailua River Cruise to the Fern Grotto. “The boat is back in the water, and the employees are cleaning up the last remaining amount of diesel that’s in the water.”
The spokesperson said Tuesday was totally different, as Smith’s Kauai employees scrambled to clean up following the discovery of a rear-engined barge that sank in its slip.
“We’re still looking into how and why the boat sank,” the spokesperson said. “But we used all of the employees to clean up everything.”
According to several television news sources, the Wailua Marina was partially closed on Tuesday following the mishap that took place overnight on Monday. There were no injuries reported when the tour barge sank. The resulting oil spill was limited to what was onboard and isolated to waters around the Wailua Marina.
Smith’s employees discovered the sunken barge when they reported for work on Tuesday, and in response, the U.S. Coast Guard visited the marina.
The Wailua Marina closure impacted kayaking companies and tours on the Wailua River Cruise to the Fern Grotto until later in the afternoon when the boat ramp was reopened.
Investigation into the cause of the barge sinking is ongoing.
Smith’s Kauai operates several businesses centering around the Wailua Marina, including the Wailua River Cruise, Smith’s Tropical Paradise garden tours, Weddings in Paradise, and the Smith’s Family Garden Luau.
Source: The Garden Island