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Boats Collide, Send Two Men Overboard In James River

The Coast Guard said a tugboat and a fishing boat collided in the James River near Hopewell, tossing two men aboard the fishing boat into the river. Neither of the men were injured. The Coast Guard is investigating the collisions between the 26- foot boat and a barge. Julia Dixon with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries said that the collision near the Benjamin Harrison Bridge occurred around 1:30 to 2 a.m. "The pleasure boat was anchored in or near the channel," Dixon said. She added that it isn't uncommon for fishermen to be out fishing early in the morning. Coast Guard Lt. Jack Smith confirmed that the fishing boat identified as a 26-foot Carolina Skiff was anchored in or near the channel, adding that the collision is still under investigation. When the boats collided, the two men on the skiff were thrown overboard and their boat was overturned. The crew of the Lisa Moran, the tug boat involved in the collision, pulled the two men from the water. Smith said that the two men that had been on the fishing boat were not wearing life jackets, so "the quick action of the tug crew was critical."