The UNITED STATE Coast Guard with the Army Corps of Engineers and also Tennessee Valley Towing Company remain to reply to a pull and also barge mishap on the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky greater than a week after it started.

Watchstanders at CG Sector Ohio Valley obtained a record at around 8:10 p.m. on Christmas reporting that the pulling vessel Debbie Graham, which was pressing 15 packed coal barges, reached the second Street Bridge on the Ohio River triggering all 15 barges to damage totally free.

Only 6 barges have actually ultimately been recouped. Nine others are still existing on the dam simply over the drops with much of them currently sunk.
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According to an upgrade from the Coast Guard on Wednesday, water at the McAlpine Dam has actually increased roughly 3 feet throughout the previous 24-hour triggering one added barge to sink, bringing the overall variety of sunken barges to 7. Tennessee Valley Towing Company is the accountable event.

“The Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, and the responsible party are working together to evaluate the ever-changing situation each day. Tennessee Valley Towing has retained two salvage teams to raise the barges. The salvage equipment team is en route to the incident site and is scheduled to arrive on scene as early as Wednesday evening,” the Coast Guard stated.

Tennessee Valley Towing Company and also the salvage group are creating a salvage strategy and also will certainly be dealing with the Coast Guard and also the Army Corps of Engineers to elevate the barges as securely and also asap.

The Coast Guard opened up the Ohio River to vessel website traffic from Twelve Mile Island to McAlpine Lock and also Dam, yet website traffic is just allowed throughout daytime hrs.

The root cause of the case is still under examination.