CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. - The Navy says they have successfully removed fuel from the E-2D Hawkeye that crashed last Wednesday. One service member was killed and two others were injured in the crash. Watermen, like Randy Birch say they are relieved no fuel spilled into the bay.
“There are a lot of aquaculture clams and oysters up there and they are of course filter feeders, so it's important anywhere it's at, but where it's at there are millions of clams up there,” Birch said.
The Navy is keeping boats 500 yards away from the crash site. They are also conducting flights in the area to ensure there is no pollution. Nathan Hill is a tour boat operator and says he hopes the salvage operation proceeds quickly and safely.
“It needs to get resolved because right now we are restricted about how close and where we can travel. There are crab traps all in the area and they are not going to be able to fish those, if they really police how close they can get,” Hill said.
The Navy says they are working with state and local officials to plan the rest of the salvage operation and that the health and safety of the community is a top priority.
