Push tug sinks off South Carolina
Written by Nick Blenkey
U.S. Coast Guard posted this picture of the tugboat as it was sinking
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Charleston reported yesterday that the USCG and partner agencies were responding to a 59-foot push tug that sank Tuesday night approximately three miles off North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Horry County Fire Rescue personnel rescued the three crew members aboard the tug. Other agencies responding included North Myrtle beach rescue squad.
“The vessel is currently in 30 feet of water, and has approximately 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board. There are no reports of shoreline impacts, and the vessel’s owner is coordinating with local salvage to mitigate environmental and waterway impacts,” sector Charleston said on its Facebook page. “Coast Guard crews are evaluating the site to determine if there is a specific navigational hazard.
“The Sector Charleston Command Center has issued a safety marine information broadcast and requests the public transit the area with caution as this operation is ongoing.”
Irritatingly, the post did not identify either the vessel or its owner.
However, a reply to one of the comments on the Sector Charleston Facebook post on the incident made an identification of the tugboat that sank as the Jacqueline A and North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad posted a photo of a life buoy marked “Jacqueline A” on its Facebook page.
If that identification is accurate, then the vessel is a twin screw tugboat rated at 680 horsepower that was built in 1981
