The United States Coast Guard and partners are trying to figure out how to move a massive 623-foot motor vessel that ran aground approximately a mile north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in the Delaware River on Wednesday night.
At 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay watchstanders received a report from the pilot aboard the Algoma Verity stating the vessel had run aground with no injuries in the Delaware River.
The vessel was northbound with a cargo of approximately 45,000 tons of solar salt when the incident occurred.
Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast notice to mariners and deployed a station Philadelphia 29-foot response boat-small crew to the area.
There have been no reports of pollution and the Coast Guard will continue to monitor the vessel for any potential changes.
As of 8 a.m., Friday, the Algoma Verity is still aground outside the main shipping channel, the US Coast Guard confirmed Friday.
A team from Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay, salvors, and the vessel’s representatives are continuing to monitor the situation and are formulating a plan to safely move the vessel.
“There are many different factors when it comes to moving a vessel as large as the Algoma Verity after a grounding and we want to ensure it is done safely,” said Cmdr. Lee Gorlin, the incident commander at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay. “It is too early to have a timeline, but our responders will continue to work closely with our partners to complete the mission.”
A safety zone has been established around the Algoma Verity, the US Coast Guard said on Friday, restricting vessel traffic from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge to Tioga Marine Terminal.
The cause of the grounding is under investigation.
