Coast Guard: Grounded-barge captain should have called for help

(VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.) — The Coast Guard said a tugboat captain towing a container barge that ran aground off Virginia Beach last year should have called for help sooner, the Virginian-Pilot newspaper reported. The 570-foot La Princesa, which contained hazardous chemicals, washed up on the shore in heavy weather in November. Coast Guard investigators said additional tugboats could have been dispatched to bring the barge under control in a safer area.
 
Click here to view the newspaper’s story and a photo gallery.
By Professional Mariner Staff