VIDEO: Stern section removed from Golden Ray wreck
Written by Nick Blenkey
The Barge 455-8 deballasts as it receives Section Eight, the stern of the Golden Ray wreck. [St. Simons Sound Incident Response photo]
The St. Simons Sound Incident response team today completed the removal of Section Eight, the stern, of the capsized car carrier Golden Ray.
The heavy lift vessel VB-10000, which had earlier completed the cut through the section, yesterday lifted the section on to the Barge 455-8, This was followed by ballasting of the barge and sea-fastening operations overnight. The barge then transited with the section to Mayor’s Point Terminal on Tuesday morning. The section will undergo further sea-fastening at the terminal before transiting aboard the barge to a recycling facility in Louisiana.
On-water response teams recovered oil released from the wreck during lifting operations.
“Due to this cut’s proximity to the engine room, we expected to encounter residual oil/petroleum products inside tanks, piping and machinery which could not be accessed in the fuel removal phase of the response.” said Incident Commander Chris Graff of Gallagher Marine Systems. “The response team was fully prepared and in position to respond throughout the entire cut and lift.
“What we observed during this operation is exactly why we have the protection barrier and a dynamic fleet of oil response vessels,” said U.S. Coast Guard Commander Efren Lopez, Federal On-scene Coordinator. “The pollution response team has been refining their operations for months and that paid off with their swift response to the product released from the wreck during the lift.”
“Shoreline teams are out every day to keep our beaches and marshes clear of debris and other impacts” said John Maddox, Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division, State On-Scene Coordinator. “A rigorous environmental monitoring program including water quality monitoring and wildlife surveys, is in place to ensure the continued health of St. Simon’s Sound.”
“This cut progressed much faster than the first cut to remove the bow section, but we still see some room for improvement and will continue to refine our operations,” said lead wreck removal contractor T&T Salvage President Mauricio Garrido.
