Man and dog rescued after fishing boat sinks near Vancouver Island

Rescuers located the man and his dog on Henry Island, Wash., and transported them to Port Angeles, Wash., in stable condition, the U.S. Coast Guard said. (U.S. Coast Guard)

A marine salvage operation is underway in U.S. waters off Vancouver Island after a man and his dog were forced to abandon their sinking fishing boat Friday.

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued the castaways after their life raft washed ashore on Henry Island, Wash., east of Vancouver Island.

The agency says it responded around 6 a.m. Friday to a report that the 14.5-metre (48 foot) commercial fishing boat Chief Joseph was taking on water.

A coast guard helicopter and two rescue boats were dispatched and transported the man and his dog to Port Angeles, Wash., in stable condition, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement.

The helicopter crew identified a 90-metre oil sheen and a debris field from the sunken vessel.

Authorities say the fishing boat was reportedly carrying between 1,500 and 1,900 litres of fuel when it went down.

While the cause of the sinking is still under investigation, spill-response company Global Dive and Salvage was tasked with the recovery and remediation of the scene over the weekend.

In a social media post Sunday, the non-profit Islands' Oil Spill Association said that the salvage company had pumped all accessible fuel from the sunken boat.

"While residual pollution is still possible, the majority of the pollution risk has been mitigated," the non-profit association said.

"A tentative plan to remove the vessel from the water once weather improves on Tuesday or Wednesday is being developed at this time."