Yacht sinks in Key Largo, leaking dozens of gallons of diesel fuel into canal
A large yacht sank in a Florida Keys canal Wednesday, potentially leaking dozens of gallons of diesel fuel into the water.
The 55-foot Viking convertible fishing yacht began listing in Key Largo on Tuesday as it was getting a service overhaul.
The engine block was sitting on the back deck of the yacht at the time it started turning onto its port, or left, side, said Johnny Guzman, a captain with TowBoat US, the salvage company tasked with removing the vessel from the water.
On Wednesday afternoon, crews from the Key Largo Harbor Marina, where the boat is docked, worked to place yellow booms around the boat to try containing the diesel, which glistened in a rainbow slick on top of the water.
The heavy smell of diesel fumes permeated the air as Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers responded to the emergency. The canal, off Caribbean Drive, spans six blocks before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.
It was not immediately clear who owns the yacht, but Guzman said the vessel is not insured, meaning the owner will have to pay out of pocket for the cost of salvage and the fuel cleanup. He knew the yacht wasn’t insured because he was bidding for the clean-up job.
The boat was fully fueled at the time it sank, and it carries 1,500 gallons of diesel, “and it’s going to let go every single bit of it, and it’s going to keep leaking,” Guzman said.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday that the yacht leaked about 50 gallons of diesel into the canal.
To get the yacht out of the water, crews will have to use airbags, divers and maybe even a crane, he said.
Guzman, 21, has only been working for TowBoat US for about four months and “this is the biggest job I’ve seen so far,” he said.
This story was originally published December 10, 2025 at 4:53 PM.
