Golden Ray responders deal with impact of wreck fire

Written by Nick Blenkey
Barge between gantriess of VB-10000

Wreck removal personnel conduct maintenance and fire damage assessments of the VB-10000 lifting beams [St. Simons Sound Incident Response photo.]

Following the recent fire in the interior of the Golden Ray wreck, St. Simons Sound Incident Response engineers have been continuing damage assessments of both the wreck itself and the equipment being used to cut it into sections and remove it.

Naval architects and response engineers are assessing the structure of the remaining wreck and the custom-fabricated lifting structures welded to its top. Meantime, wreck removal personnel continue to assess, repair and replace equipment on the VB-10000 heavy lift vessel.

Although there’s no word yet on when cutting will resume, divers and rope-access technicians are continuing pre-cutting operations on the wreck that include the drilling of additional drainage holes and fire suppression access points along the remaining sections of the wreck.

Environmental response efforts remain ongoing, with shoreline survey teams recovering increased numbers of small, plastic debris from the shorelines of Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island.

Safety personnel continue air monitoring in the community using mobile air monitoring equipment.. Air quality analysis and water sample analysis continues to confirm no exceedances of air and water quality standards.

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