ST.RITA

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Marine Accident Brief released

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a Marine Accident Brief about the sinking of the 'St.Rita' on March 31, 2020. The tug was shifting the hopper barge 'LTD 14161' across the Mississippi River to the Cooper Consolidated La Place fleeting area, about 23 miles west of New Orleans, Louisiana, when the collision occurred. The vessel then became pinned against a barge block broadside to the current, heeled over and sank. The five crewmembers on board abandoned the tug by climbing aboard the barge and were later rescued by a Good Samaritan towing vessel. No pollution or injuries were reported. The submerged vessel was considered a total constructive loss and was valued at $1.5 million. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the collision was the captain?s inexperience in executing a fleeting operation on a single headline in heavy river current conditions in close proximity to the head of a block. However, the report notes that the captain?s sounding of the general alarm, when he felt he was losing control and before the boat listed, gave the crew additional time to muster and a warning of the dangerous situation. This action mitigated the occurrence of serious injury and loss of life.

Tug sank on Mississippi

The US Coast Guard and a tug responded to the sinking of the "St. Rita" on the Mississippi River near Laplace, Louisiana, on March 7, 2019. At approximately 3 p.m Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report that the tug, owned and operated by Marquette Transportation Company, sank on the right descending bank on the Mississippi River. The five crewmembers that were on board the vessel were rescued by the crew of the tug "Rod C" and then transported to shore. No injuries were reported. The "St. Rita" was estimated to have approximately 13,000 gallons of diesel on board. A Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter was diverted to conduct an overflight of the sunken vessel and reported a visible sheen from mile marker 132 to mile marker 117. A Coast Guard Sector New Orleans Incident Management Team was also deployed and conducted a visual shoreline assessment with representatives from Marquette Transportation and confirmed a silvery, rainbow colored non recoverable sheen on the river. There were no impacts to vessel traffic and the river remains open.