Skip to content
NOWCAST Pittsburgh's Action News 4 at 4pm
Coming up Soon
Advertisement

Missing barge on Ohio River believed to have been located after sinking

Missing barge on Ohio River believed to have been located after sinking
FOR. SO WHAT’S NEXT? WELL, ANDREW, OFFICIALS WITH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TELL ME WHAT THEY CAN DO NOW IS SIMPLY MONITOR THESE SEVEN BARGES HERE OUTSIDE THE EMSWORTH LOCK AND DAM. AND THE ONE AT THE DASHIELDS DAM. THEY SAY THE HIGH WATER MAKES THAT THEIR ONLY CHOICE RIGHT NOW. BUT WHILE THEY WAIT, WE DID LEARN THERE HAS BEEN SOME PROGRESS. WE BELIEVE THAT WE’VE LOCATED THE SUNKEN BARGE. WE THINK THAT WE KNOW WHERE IT’S AT RIGHT NOW, THAT BARGE CAMPBELL. TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS TELL ME THEY BELIEVE IS JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EMSWORTH DAM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OHIO RIVER. BUT THEY CANNOT CONFIRM THAT UNTIL THE RIVER IS AT A LEVEL SAFE ENOUGH TO PUT DIVERS IN THE WATER. IN THE MEANTIME, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF RIVER OPERATIONS SAYS THEY ARE MAKING PLANS TO GET THE RUNAWAY BARGES BACK. WE’RE GOING TO BE WORKING COOPERATIVELY WITH THE COAST GUARD AND WITH THE ARMY CORPS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN HAVE A SAFE RECOVERY OF THE BARGES THAT WE HAVE AGAINST THE DAM RIGHT NOW. GARY STATLER, VICE PRESIDENT OF RIVER OPERATIONS FOR CAMPBELL TRANSPORTATION, TELLS ME THE PLAN NOW IS TO TOW EACH BARGE DOWN THE RIVER INDIVIDUALLY. BUT THAT OR ANY PLAN TO REMOVE THEM WILL NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THE COAST GUARD FIRST. THESE BARGES ARE SOME OF THE 26 THAT BROKE FREE OVER THE WEEKEND, DAMAGING MARINAS, HITTING ONE BRIDGE AND CLOSING OTHERS. BUT THE BARGE IS STUCK OUTSIDE EMSWORTH AND DASHIELL DAMS FOR NOW, OFFICIALS SAY, CAN ONLY BE WATCHED CLOSELY. SO RIGHT NOW WE’RE WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, WITH THE BARGE OWNERS AND THE COAST GUARD TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE GET TO A SITUATION WHERE IT’S SAFE FOR EVERYBODY TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD. SO RIGHT NOW, WE’RE JUST MONITORING THE SITUATION AS IT EVOLVES, AWAITING AN APPROVED PLAN AND A SAFE RIVER TO CARRY IT OUT. AND FOR NOW, THE RIVER DOES REMAIN CLOSED. BETWEEN HERE, THE EMSWORTH DAM AND THE DASHIELDS DAM. AND I’M TOLD IT WILL REMAIN THAT WAY UNTIL THEY CAN CONFIRM THAT THEY HAVE FOUND THAT MISSING SUNKEN BARGE THAT THEY BELIEVE THEY HAVE. REPORTING LIVE OUT
Advertisement
Missing barge on Ohio River believed to have been located after sinking
A missing barge, one of 26 barges that broke free over the weekend, is believed to be sunken in the Ohio River not far from the Emsworth Dam."We believe that we've located the sunken barge. We think that we know where it's at right now," said Gary Statler, vice president of river operations for Campbell Transportation, the company responsible for the barges.Statler said the river levels are too high to send divers in to confirm its location.Officials with the Army Corp of Engineers said there are still seven barges against the Emsworth Lock and Dam and one at the Dashields Dam, but the river levels are preventing them from being moved yet as well. "We need the river to continue to fall and get to a situation where it's safe to do anything. So right now, that's why we're still in the monitoring phase," said Alan Nogy, operations project manager for the locks and dams.Statler said they hope to have a plan approved to tow each barge away from the dam one at a time once the river levels are at a safe level. A plan to confirm the sunken barge's location and removal is still in the works.

A missing barge, one of 26 barges that broke free over the weekend, is believed to be sunken in the Ohio River not far from the Emsworth Dam.

"We believe that we've located the sunken barge. We think that we know where it's at right now," said Gary Statler, vice president of river operations for Campbell Transportation, the company responsible for the barges.

Advertisement

Statler said the river levels are too high to send divers in to confirm its location.

Officials with the Army Corp of Engineers said there are still seven barges against the Emsworth Lock and Dam and one at the Dashields Dam, but the river levels are preventing them from being moved yet as well.

"We need the river to continue to fall and get to a situation where it's safe to do anything. So right now, that's why we're still in the monitoring phase," said Alan Nogy, operations project manager for the locks and dams.

Statler said they hope to have a plan approved to tow each barge away from the dam one at a time once the river levels are at a safe level.

A plan to confirm the sunken barge's location and removal is still in the works.