Runaway Crane Barge Sinks on the Mississippi

The U.S. Coast Guard is working with a team of responders to recover a runaway crane barge that sunk near Convent on the Mississippi River.

 

The crane barge broke free of its mooring and sank along with an excavator crane and backhoe near mile marker 160 Monday morning, according to Coast Guard Sector New Orleans. No injuries were reported.

 

The Coast Guard said it is working with the barge’s owner and oil spill response organization ES&H to determine the amount of diesel fuel in the tank at the time of the incident, which could reportedly be up to 8,000 gallons.

 

The Coast Guard is working with salvors McKinney Towing & Salvage to develop a salvage plan.

 

The cause of the incident is under investigation.