The 58 foot long towboat Tom Bussler capsized and sank on the Tennessee River near Calvert City, Kentucky. The two crew on board were rescued by the towboat George Leavell. Both crew were taken ashore and transported to a nearby hospital.
The Coast Guard has dispatched a vessel to monitor the wreck. Reports state the Tom Bussler had some 4100 gallons of diesel fuel on board at the time, but there has been no signs of pollution released.
The 95 meter long, 3950 dwt ro-ro cargo vessel MV Delta Mariner struck the Eggner Ferry Bridge over the Kentucky Lake, a section of the Tennessee River. The Delta Mariner, loaded with booster cores used with Delta and Atlas rockets, attempted to pass under the bridge through a channel normally used by recreational vessels. The bridge partially collapsed sending 20 feet of the span onto the vessel and into the water. The bridge also suffered damage to its superstructure. The Delta Mariner did not suffer any severe damage. No one was injured during the incident. The Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the incident.
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The MV Delta Mariner typically loads booster cores at a Boeing plant in Decatur, Alabama and proceeds down the Tennessee River and Ohio River, then onto the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.
