Sunken Harbour Boat 'Stuck Fast'

The operation to refloat a tugboat which sank in a Pembrokeshire harbour could take up to a week. A salvage firm has been appointed to bring the Intrepid B up from the Fishguard sea bed, but tides are expected to make the task difficult. Divers surveyed the boat on Tuesday, which is said to be stuck fast after going down on Monday. The port's ferry services will not be affected and there is a minimal risk of pollution from the boat's diesel. The boat started taking water just after 0800GMT on Monday and sank to the sea bed as the tide came in. The tug was carrying 45,000 litres of diesel. The fuel was transferred to a second vessel, with booms laid to stop pollution spreading. It had been hoped the combination of a low tide and empty fuel tanks would lift the stricken boat so that engineers could assess the damage. Harbourmaster David Dean said the boat was thoroughly stuck, and the problem with the tide meant it would be a bigger operation than originally thought. Intrepid B