A Panamanian-flagged motor vessel, named ISLA DE BIOKO, and US-flagged towing vessel named GINNY STONE collided at mile marker 110, the US Coast Guard said in its statement on April 29.
The US Coast Guard responded to the collision that caused a barge breakaway and one sunken barge on the Lower Mississippi River near New Orleans, LA, on Sunday (April 27) night.
The collision was reported around 9:20 p.m.
According to the US Coast Guard, six barges broke free and began drifting down river while one barge loaded with Urea sank.
Assist tugs in the area diverted and 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.
In response to safety concerns, the Captain of Port temporarily closed the Lower Mississippi River Waterway from mile marker 108 to 111, above Head of Passes.
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.
By Monday afternoon, authorities reopened the river to vessel traffic with restrictions following the successful removal of the two breakaway barges.
US Coast Guard officials report that the elevated river levels are contributing to challenging conditions, though they actively coordinate with the responsible party on incident assessment and salvage planning.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation. There have been no reports of injuries, wildlife or shoreline impacts.
