USCG responds to dredge capsize

Written by Marine Log Staff
dredge capsize

An aerial shot of the dredge W.B. Wood after it capsized on the Mississippi River with 940 feet of boom around it near Meraux, Louisiana on Jan. 16, 2023. The Coast Guard Sector New Orleans Incident Management Division is overseeing the pollution response and coordinating with Wood Resources, LLC on plans to salvage the capsized vessel. [U.S. Coast Guard photo by Sector New Orleans]

The Coast Guard has been overseeing a pollution response after a cutter suction dredge capsized in the Mississippi River in the vicinity of Mile 85 near Meraux, La.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received notification at 12:50 a.m., Monday, that the dredging vessel W.B. Wood capsized, and the two people aboard were rescued and accounted for by the crew of the Good Samaritan towing vessel Omaha.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans Incident Management Division is coordinating with Wood Resources, LLC in overseeing the pollution response and the vessel owner’s plans to salvage the capsized vessel. The responding oil spill response organization, Environmental Safety & Health Consulting Services (ES&H), has three response boats on scene, is conducting skimming operations and, as of yesterday, had recovered more than 3,360 gallons of oily water mixture.

ES&H deployed 940-feet of hard and soft boom and contained the discharge.

A Coast Guard overflight of the area has verified sheening from the incident location down to Mile 64, which is expected to dissipate naturally.

All correlating pollution reports are being investigated by the Coast Guard to ensure no additional areas along the Mississippi River have been impacted.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans closed the waterway from Mile 81 to Mile 86 for eight hours, but later opened the waterway with specific restrictions in place in order to facilitate safe recovery operations.

The cause of the dredge capsize is under investigation.

Categories: Dredging, Inland and Coastal, News Tags: , , , ,