Coast Guard works to remove sunken ships from Columbia River

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Two ships that have been abandoned in the Columbia river for years are being removed, and the U.S. Coast Guard is working with state agencies to clean up the fuel and oil that leaked from the vessels. The ships are a Navy tug called the Sakarissa and a Coast Guard cutter called the Alert. They have been abandoned near Hayden Island for more than a decade. Both of the ships sunk two years ago. The Coast Guard raised the Sakarissa from the river on Monday, and work to remove the 125-foot Alert was expected to begin Saturday. The removal and cleanup effort is expected to cost roughly $3 million.