Shawn Decker News

U.S. Coast Guard personnel and Canadian federal agencies, including the Canadian coast guard, Transport Canada and Environment Canada, are monitoring a 134-foot barge drifting in the Beaufort Sea after it broke free from its tow in Canadian waters during a severe storm Monday. U.S. Coast Guard authorities were notified on Tuesday that the barge was drifting westward in the Beaufort Sea toward U.S. waters, based on computer drift models. Canadian and U.S. Coast Guard Sector Anchorage response personnel are working with the owner to develop a response plan, and are standing by to assist. The self-propelled, unmanned barge, carrying 950 gallons of diesel fuel, broke free from the vessel towing it and began drifting west with the wind.

The disabled freighter that was stranded 100 miles off the coast of during Hurricane Ike is now operating under its own power. The 484-ft. Antalina was was forced to ride out the storm after it broke down in the , and its 22 crewmembers made it safely through the hurricane. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Shawn Decker said Sunday that the Antalina, a Cyprus-flagged cargo freighter, had power but was still being escorted by tugboats. Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for Greece-based TEO Shipping, which owns the ship, said the Antalina will drop anchor somewhere off the coast and offload its cargo of petroleum coke. Source:  Chronicle