The 63 meter long self-propelled barge Undine 2 allided against a pier off Emmerich, Germany. The Undine 2 was proceeding on the Rhine from Tolkamer with a cargo of 700 tons of sand when it suffered engine failure. The crew attempted to keep the barge from going adrift by dropping the vessel’s anchor, but the current caused the Undine 2 to swing around and struck a floating pier. The Undine 2 suffered only minor scratches, but the pier was significantly damaged. The pier’s pontoon suffered water ingress and the gangway was twisted. No reports of injuries. Reports state estimated damage to the pier to be around 120,000 euros.
On December 24, the 28 meter long towboat Christina Belcher collided with a sand barge on the Ohio River at mile marker 952 near Joppa, Illinois. The Christina Belcher was pushing two oil barges loaded with 921,000 gallons of crude oil which struck the loaded sand barge. The sand barge filled with water and sank. One of the oil barges sustained damage, but no reports of pollution released. The Coast Guard dispatched personnel to the scene and have launched an investigation into the incident.
On October 24, the NTCL barge broke free from its towline and went adrift in the Beaufort Sea. The 134 foot long self-propelled barge was under tow headed to Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada after delivering supplies when it encountered a heavy storm in the Beaufort Sea. When the towline parted, the tug continued on its way to Tuktoyaktuk instead of risking the crew in the storm. The tug was able to reach port safely while the barge was driven westerly by the storm.
Canadian and US authorities dispatched aircraft to monitor the barge. Reports state that there where little resources in the area as ice is quickly forming in the Beaufort Sea. The barge owner, Northern Transportation Company, has attempted to rescue the vessel, but can’t find any available tugs in the area.
Photo: uscg
Five days later, the barge was last spotted off Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. However, flights during the following days were unable to locate the barge. Authorities believe the vessel could have frozen in the ice some 10 miles offshore or possibly sank. Flights will continue and a GPS tracker will be dropped on the vessel if it spotted again. Reports state there are some concerns about pollution as some 3,500 litres of diesel fuel were still in the barge’s tanks.
