Left Descending Bank News

The contact between a tow and a section of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam in Alton, Ill., was caused by the pilot of the towing vessel not effectively compensating for a strong outdraft and wind, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.On March 19, 2021, the 177-foot-long towing vessel Kevin Michael was pushing 15 barges down the Mississippi River when the tow struck the bull nose of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam upstream main lock chamber guide wall, resulting in the tow breaking apart and damaging the dam gates. No injuries or pollution were reported.

In late Spring at about 0300 local time, an aging towboat (#1) was pushing two loaded barges upbound on a swollen and fast-moving northwestern U.S. river. It was a moonless night and, while certainly not unusual conditions for the veteran captain and his longtime deckhand, it didn’t diminish the added challenges of the short but tricky nocturnal run. And, as towboat pilots know, activities and hazards that are literally clear in daytime hours, take on a decidedly different complexion after the sun sets and inky darkness envelops the river and shrouds its banks.

A harbor tug is aground, partially submerged and taking on water on the Upper Mississippi River near Cairo, Ill.The U.S. Coast Guard said it received a report at 2 p.m. Tuesday stating that the vessel, Totem Kole II, was taking on water at mile marker 59.7. The vessel is grounded at a nearby embankment on the left descending bank of the river.All crewmembers were able to safely disembark the vessel.Coast Guard crews are responding to the incident and an oil spill response organization has deployed containment boom around the vessel to prevent the spread of pollution after an unknown amount of product is reported to have gone into the water.

Professional mariners in all sectors of this diverse industry confront a myriad of challenges and hazards as they perform their daily duties. From piloting ocean-going ships into congested harbors and safely docking them, to navigating passenger vessels through harbors and rivers loaded with other commercial vessels and recreational craft and everything in between, U.S. Coast Guard licensed officers literally see it all on an almost daily basis. But arguably the mariners who face…