Sunken Barge Presumed Found In Ohio River After Dozens Break Loose

PITTSBURGH, PA — Officials believe they have located a sunken barge in the Ohio River, days after more than two dozen broke loose during weekend flooding, damaging two nearby marinas and closing the river to maritime traffic.

Crews used sonar to locate an object in a stretch of river north of the city, which Campbell Transportation Company Inc. said it presumes to be its missing barge, the Associated Press reported.

Cmdr. Justin Jolley of the U.S. Coast Guard’s marine safety unit in Pittsburgh said Tuesday that once the object in the river is confirmed to be the missing barge, “we’re hopeful we can reduce the security zone to that area and allow traffic to resume.”

The river remained closed Tuesday while the company worked to salvage the runaway barges.

According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, authorities were dispatched shortly before 11 p.m. Friday after receiving reports that several barges had broken loose and were floating uncontrolled down the Ohio River.

Police said 26 barges broke loose — 23 were loaded with cargo including coal and three were empty. The barges contained no hazardous materials, authorities said.

No injuries were reported, police said, but Peggy's Marina sustained extensive damage. The nearby Branchport Boat Club also was damaged, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

According to police, 11 barges were pinned against the river bank by Brunot Island and were held by a tugboat over the weekend. Fourteen continued down the river and six went over the Emsworth Dam.

Police closed the West End Bridge in both directions and shut down rail traffic to Brunot Island. The bridge reopened later Saturday.

Seventeen of the barges are secure and under control, while seven remain positioned against the Emsworth Locks and Dam and one is pinned against the Dashields Locks and Dam, the company said.
“We are actively developing a recovery plan for all affected vessels, which will be implemented when safe for the recovery workers, barges and the public,” Gary Statler, the company's senior vice president for river operations, told the Associated Press.

Jolley said the company began retrieving barges pinned against the Emsworth dam on Tuesday morning.

The Coast Guard is still investigating how the barges got loose from their moorings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.