On May 13, the 53 foot long, 85 gt towboat Robert T. Knuehl caught fire on the Ohio River off Bellaire, Ohio. The Robert T. Knuehl was pushing several barges when a fire broke out in the engine room. The crew was able to contain the blaze, but several crew on board suffered smoke inhalation. Two crew were later taken to a local hospital. No reports of pollution released.
The towboat David Dunnigan capsized and sank on the Ohio River near Golconda, Illinois. The David Dunnigan was working near mile marker 897.5 on the flooded river when it flipped over and sank. No reports of injuries. The Coast Guard reports the vessel was swept downstream and its exact location was unknown. The David Dunnigan had some 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board at the time. The Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the incident.
The floating restaurant-barge Schooner’s suffered water ingress at it’s berth on the Ohio River in Guyandotte, Huntington, West Virginia. A maintenance worker alerted that the barge had suffered a leak and was partially flooded. Cables were ran to hold the barge in place while pump trucks arrived to help pump water from the hull. The cause of the leak was not yet known.
