Crews resume efforts to raise sunken tugboat from Fraser River
Posted August 16, 2018 5:29 am.
Last Updated August 16, 2018 10:52 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Workers are back out again to try to raise a tugboat that went down in the north arm of the Fraser River Monday night.
They had to stop work Wednesday night, after the large crane being used was only able to get the cabin of the George H. Ledcor to the surface.
There are still concerns about fuel leaking from the vessel. The vessel could have carried up to 22,000 litres.
David Hoff with Ledcor said divers managed to seal off the fuel tanks Tuesday afternoon and as much as 600 litres of fuel had already been recovered from the site.
Those in charge of the operation said there was a slight sheen on the water as the work was being done Wednesday afternoon, suggesting some of the diesel onboard the tug may have been escaping.
The Canadian Coast Guard and several other groups are monitoring the situation. The Transportation Safety Board said it was deploying a team of investigators to the site to gather information and assess the incident.
Public access is “restricted” at McDonald Beach Park in Richmond.
The beach at Fraser River Park on the Vancouver side of the river is also still closed.
Vancouver Park Board said on Tuesday that crews detected a “faint fuel odour and sheen along the shore.”
The 20-metre tugboat was towing a loaded gravel barge when it capsized Monday night around 11 p.m. All four crew members are safe because they were rescued by another vessel.
The Canadian Coast Guard says it’s not clear why the tugboat capsized.
– With files from the Canadian Press
