SAN RAFAEL (BCN) — The U.S. Coast Guard is assuming responsibility for the salvage and environmental remediation of a boat that sank in the San Rafael yacht Harbor Monday, a Coast Guard spokesman said.
The 50-foot recreation vessel started sinking Sunday night, Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. John Lane said. The owner of the boat, Jennifer Lynn Newsom, 52, of San Rafael, died on board the boat on Christmas day, San Rafael police Lt. Raffaello Pata said.
Her body was found by a friend, and foul play is not suspected in her death Pata said.
The cause of Newsom’s death is still under investigation and is pending the results of toxicology tests, Marin County Chief Deputy Coroner Darrell Harris said.
San Rafael police responded at 4:45 a.m. to the sinking boat in the harbor at 557 Francisco Blvd. A dive team from the Southern Marin Fire Protection District responded and determined no one was aboard the sunken vessel, San Rafael Fire Department Battalion Chief Kyle Hamilton said Monday afternoon.
“There was a fair amount of debris on board that made it very difficult to search,” Hamilton said.
Lane said Jennifer Newsom’s brother said he could not afford a salvage operation, and the Coast Guard will assume that responsibility using money from the oil spill liability trust.
There were fuel and oil on board and there was a light rainbow sheen on the water, Lane said. A boom containing absorbent material was placed around the area where the boat sank, Lane said.
The top of the wheel house was sticking out of the water, Lane said Monday morning.
Matt Butler, the San Rafael Yacht Harbor’s harbor master, was not immediately available for comment.