Golden Ray salvage ops move ahead

Responders install gates to the Environmental Protection Barrier (EPB) around the Golden Ray wreck site. [Photo: St. Simons Sound Response].

With the giant twin-gantry, twin-barge catamaran VB-10,000 now on-site in St. Simons Sound, Ga., responders have been taking the final preparatory steps needed as it starts cutting into the capsized car carrier Golden Ray.

The Unified Command supervising the salvage operation has been installing gates in the one -mile long Environmental Protection Barrier (EPB) around the wreck site. The EPB is custom designed barrier made of high density polyethylene pipe, 5-foot square mesh debris netting and ocean boom coupled to pilings and able to rise and fall with tidal action.

The gates will allow the removal from the site of the eight sections into which the Golden Ray will be cut.