Thursday, March 17, 2011

Barge Drifts Down Ohio; No Injuries

A barge broke free of its moorings and drifted about a quarter mile on the Ohio River yesterday afternoon before grounding itself on the shore.

Coast Guard Lieutenant Ben Chamberlain says none of the lubricant oil aboard spilled into the river and nobody was on board to be hurt in the incident.

Lt. Chamberlain says the Coast Guard is investigating why the barge broke free, but in the meantime it’s grounded “hard and fast” to the riverbank.

“It is structurally sound, and it is safe. We sent investigators on scene yesterday and we have investigators again on scene today to make sure that it was not, in fact, damaged,” says Chamberlain. “So at this point it is safe, but we are looking at the best ways, and we are working with members of industry to figure out the best way to get it off its grounded state right now.”

The lieutenant says it will probably be just a few days or less before the Coast Guard determines how to safely free up the barge.

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