Coast Guard investigates fuel spill off Puerto Rican island of Vieques

John McCarthyPosted oninBreaking News, Caribbean News, Environmental News, Military News, National News, Puerto Rico News

SAN JUAN (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard today investigated a fuel spill off the tiny Puerto Rican island of Vieques, which is popular with tourists.

A mile-long sheen and a strong diesel odor was reported by local emergency medical officials on Friday afternoon along Sun Bay Beach, which is known for its clear, turquoise waters.

At least one person was exposed to the unknown substance and received treatment, the Coast Guard said Friday.

Authorities urged people to stay out of the water.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Coast Guard wraps Sun Bay Beach pollution investigation in Vieques

John McCarthy

John F. McCarthy is a veteran journalist in the Caribbean, writing from the "Decision Space" where survival meets the surreal. His reporting steel was tempered by a lineage of legendary editors and broadcasters, including Ed Wynn Brant (The Bomb), Owen Eschenroder (Ann Arbor News), Lynelle Emanuel (BVI Beacon), and Charles Thanas (WSVI-TV). Alongside longtime colleague Kenneth C. "Casey" Clark, McCarthy has navigated the front lines of the territory’s history—from the 1997 volcanic "snow" to every major hurricane since Hugo. Known for leaning out of doorless helicopters to capture the "money shot," McCarthy now edits the V.I. Free Press, providing the essential link between the island's colonial past and its SpaceX future.