Briefly

A 29-foot sloop sunk at its moorings Monday morning in Newport Harbor,

prompting the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol to set out a

flotation device to contain a small oil and kerosene spill.

The fluids floated on the surface of Newport Bay after the boat sunk

about 8:45 a.m. in the “G” mooring area near West Coast Highway at Bay

Shore Drive, said Harbor Patrol Sgt. Gary Smith.

The cause of the sinking was not immediately known. The boat is

scheduled to be raised today by a private salvage company.

The boat’s owner, Paul Chan of San Diego, was contacted and told about

the sinking, Smith said.