U.S. Coast Guard Heartland Office: 504-671-2020 Cell: 618-225-9008
NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard responded to a vessel collision that resulted in a barge breakaway and one sunken barge on the Lower Mississippi River near New Orleans, LA, Sunday night.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report at approximately 9:20 p.m. Sunday that the Panamanian flagged Motor Vessel ISLA DE BIOKO and the US flagged Towing Vessel GINNY STONE were involved in a collision at mile marker 110.
Following the collision, six barges broke free and began drifting down river while one barge loaded with Urea sank. Assist tugs in the area diverted and successfully retrieved four drifting barges, while the remaining two became lodged on the anchor lines of the Motor Vessel RED FIN and the Motor Vessel BULKER BEE 30.
The Captain of Port (COTP) temporarily closed the Lower Mississippi River Waterway from mile marker 108 to 111, above Head of Passes, due to the safety hazards associated with the barge breakaway and sunken barge. The US Army Corps of Engineers completed a survey of the channel and confirmed the sunken barge’s location to be approximately 75 feet below the water line. At approximately 3:00 p.m., Monday, following the successful removal of the two breakaway barges, the river was reopened to vessel traffic with restrictions. Those restrictions can be found at U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans Facebook.
Elevated river levels are contributing to challenging conditions, but the Coast Guard is actively coordinating with the responsible party to assess the incident and salvage planning.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
There have been no reports of injuries, wildlife or shoreline impacts.
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