According to a news release, Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60T Jayhawk crew rescued and hoisted the tug's five people from the barge that was attached to the 102-foot tug Ocean Eagle and transported them to Sitka after the tug began taking on water Wednesday night.

"The aircrew faced harsh weather conditions early Thursday morning when they saved five crew members off the barge," said Cmdr. Gina Freeman, search and rescue mission coordinator for Sector Juneau. "Fortunately, there was no loss of life. [Thursday], Coast Guard Sector Juneau and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation continued to work with the tug's owner to remove the tug and barge and minimize any pollution to the environment."

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Juneau received a report at 7:15 p.m., Wednesday, from the crew of the Ocean Eagle that the tug and barge ran aground on Mariposa Reef and began taking on water in the engine room.

The crew of the Ocean Eagle reported the tug carrying a total of 58,000 gallons of diesel fuel divided among several tanks. The barge carried a mixed dry cargo and 52,000 gallons of diesel. Any discharge of product is unknown, and Sector Juneau is in consultation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for oil trajectory calculations.

The Ocean Eagle and barge refloated and drifted to Alvin Cove at approximately 3 a.m. Thursday. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Liberty arrived on scene to the Ocean Eagle at approximately 7:30 a.m. with pollution response equipment. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Maple arrived shortly thereafter. Both Coast Guard cutters remain on scene assessing the situation, looking for signs of pollution and verifying nearby aids to navigation.

Commercial tugs contracted by the Ocean Eagle's owner were on scene to dewater, assess repairs and mitigate potential pollution.

Weather on scene was 34-mph winds with 6-foot seas and 11.5 miles of visibility.

In March 2016, the Ocean Eagle ran aground east of Rock Point in Johnstone Strait off northeastern Vancouver Island. At the time, the Ocean Eagle was carrying a barge stacked with containers bound for Alaska. The tug refloated itself, but the barge remained stuck in shallow water after smashing into the tug and a section of forested shoreline.

Watch a Coast Guard video of the rescue
Video by Petty Officer 1st Class William Colclough. U.S. Coast Guard District 17
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/512320/
air-station-sitka-rescues-5-tug-ocean-eagle

Editing by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News:

U.S.C.G.
www.uscg.mil

 

Representations of fact and opinions in comments posted are solely those of the individual posters and do not represent the opinions of Sitnews.

SitNews ©2017
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper sources. E-mail your news & photos to editor@sitnews.us Photographers choosing to submit photographs for publication to SitNews are in doing so granting their permission for publication and for archiving. SitNews does not sell photographs. All requests for purchasing a photograph will be emailed to the photographer.