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.
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.