§80101. Vessel stranded on foreign coast

(a) Duties of Consular Officer.-When a vessel of the United States is stranded on a coast of a foreign country, the consular officer in that country shall take proper measures, to the extent the laws of that country allow, to-

(1) save and secure the vessel and property on the vessel; and

(2) prepare an inventory of the property that is saved.

(b) Delivery to Owner.-After deducting the expenses, the consular officer shall deliver the property, with an inventory, to the owner of the property.

(c) Limitation on Taking Possession.-A consular officer may not take possession of property under this section when the owner, master, or consignee is present or able to take possession of the property.

( Pub. L. 109–304, §11, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1690 .)

In this section, the words "consular officer" are substituted for "Consuls and vice consuls" and "consul or vice consul" for consistency in the revised title.

Subsection (a)(1) is substituted for "as well for the purpose of saving the vessels, their cargoes and appurtenances, as for storing and securing the effects and merchandise saved" to eliminate unnecessary words.