Divers Extract Oil From WWII-Era Shipwreck Off Long Island Coast

Members of the US Coast Guard have recovered more than 450,000 gallons of oil from the Coimbra, a World War II–era shipwreck off the coast of Long Island, New York, Marine Technology News and WorkBoat reported. This footage, released by the coast guard on July 18, shows divers installing valve caps and pumping equipment on the shipwreck to extract oil. Basil Seggos, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner, was quoted as saying that the oil-extraction process, which began on May 11, removed a “hidden threat to the health of Long Island’s marine fishery…and now the potential impact has been abated.” The Coimbra, a British supply ship carrying oil to Nova Scotia, sank in January 1942 after it was hit by a German U-boat torpedo. The wreck will remain 30 miles off the south shore of Shinnecock, New York, according to reports. Credit: US Coast Guard via Storyful