Search of Sunk Tugboat Suspended; Raising it is Next Step

The two victims whose bodies have been recovered from the scene of this weekend's tugboat collision on the Hudson River died from drowning, according to the Westchester Medical Examiner.

The tugboat crashed into a barge that was part of the New NY Bridge construction project and sank within minutes early Saturday morning. One member of its crew, Paul Amon, 63, of Bayville, NJ, was pulled from the water and the body of Timothy Conklin, 29, of Westbury, NY was recovered from the tug. Still missing: Harry Hernandez, 56 of Staten Island.

The information on the victims came from Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who gave a press briefing Monday afternoon on the investigation and salvage operation now underway.

One man is still missing, he said. "We still don't know where the third body is, of Harry Hernandez."

County marine and helicopter patrols were sweeping the Hudson River today, Astorino said.

However, the police diving operation has ended. The water temperatures are very cold and the currents are very strong, and after every reachable part of the tugboat was searched, the police underwater have done as much as they can do, Astorino said. "The tugboat is significantly damaged. Parts are inaccessible."

Commercial divers were at the site today, he said, assessing the damage as the first step in making a plan to raise the tug to the surface. That plan will go to the Coast Guard for approval. Actually raising the tugboat out of the water could be a week or more away.

Meanwhile, he said county police detectives have conducted many interviews. There are a lot of different accounts of what happened, and they need to corroborate testimony.

The boat's fuel tanks contained 5,000 gallons of diesel, which spilled into the river. The Department of Environmental Conservation is working to contain the spill.

"We also are monitoring the environmental impact from this accident," Astorino said. "There is a film of fuel that can be seen from the Tappan Zee Bridge down to Yonkers."

Thousands of feet of oil booms have been deployed, he said.

No injuries were reported to the 13 workers on the construction barge hit by the tug.

PHOTO: March 14 press briefing by Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino with Capt. Paul Stasaitis (left) and Lt. James Luciano (right) of the Westchester County Police/courtesy