The 143 meter long cargo vessel Jan Van Gent ran aground on the St. Lawrence River on Lake Saint-Pierre near Yamachiche, Quebec, Canada. The Jan Van Gent was headed to Hamilton, Ontario in ballast when it suffered engine and steering failure. The cargo vessel drifted out of the fairway and ran aground. Tugs were dispatched to the scene and refloated the Jan Van Gent later the same day. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released. The Jan Van Gent proceeded to Montreal for surveys.
On January 3, the 55 meter long towboat Joe Bobzien ran aground on the Mississippi River near Caruthersville, Missouri. The Joe Bobzien was pushing 35 barges when it went struck bottom. The barges broke free causing traffic to stop along a 30 mile stretch of the river. Reports state multiple vessels were deployed to assist recovering the barges. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released. The Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the incident.
The 86 meter long cargo vessel Jinlong 7 caught fire in the East China Sea near Jeju Island, South Korea. The Jinlong 7 was en route to Shanghai from Rajun with a cargo of 1200 tons of timber when a fire broke out in the engine room. The crew was able to extinguish the blaze before help had time to arrive. The fire disabled the vessel and it was towed to Seogwipo, Jeju island for repairs. Reports state the fire was started by a broken fuel pipe.