Shipwreck Log

On the morning of August 17, the 19 meter long towboat Ciudad de Medellín (MMSI: 627214286) allided on the Magdalena River at Barrancabermeja, Colombia. The Ciudad de Medellín was proceeding on the river when it struck one of the piers of the Guillermo Gaviria Bridge. The impact caused the part of the pilothouse to be torn off.  The strong current caused the towboat to take on water resulting in the vessel listing over on its starboard hull.  The Ciudad de Medellín would later partially sink.

Reports state that several crew members jumped into the river and swam to rescue boats. Local citizens attempted to aid the crew by throwing life jackets to them. News accounts do not state if any crew members were injured or not during the incident.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Witnesses have stated the water levels on the river was high due to heavy rains. There is some speculation that the towboat had steered out of the navigation channel before striking the bridge. Reports state that engineers are inspecting the bridge for damage while traffic continues to proceed over the bridge.