The following is the text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:
(CLEVELAND) (May 29) — Incident responders from the Coast Guard and representatives from the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. completed the salvage of the freighter that lost power and ran aground in the St. Lawrence Seaway, Tuesday, and have reopened the seaway to all vessel traffic as of 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
The motor vessel Federal Kivalina was removed from its resting spot near the Thousand Island Bridge by a contracted salvage crew and two tugs from Montreal.
Coast Guard personnel approved the salvage plan early Thursday afternoon and the salvage team immediately went to work to remove the vessel. Upon the safe removal of the Federal Kivalina, the SLSDC reopened the seaway to all vessel traffic, which had been shut down for more than two days.
Coast Guard investigators from Marine Safety Detachment Massena, N.Y., are currently investigating the cause of the incident.
The Coast Guard and SLSDC were notified Tuesday afternoon of the grounded freighter Federal Kivalina, a 656-foot, Hong Kong-flagged freighter carrying 23,000 metric tons of canola seeds.
Response crews from Station Alexandria Bay, New York State Parks Police, New York State Police, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, and inspectors from MSD Massena and the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. responded to assist the vessel and its crew.
For more information about the salvage and movement of vessel traffic please call the SLSDC at 202-366-0091.
RELEASE FROM MAY 28
(CLEVELAND) — Incident responders from the Coast Guard, in partnership with the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp., are overseeing the salvage and investigation of a disabled freighter that ran aground after losing steering Tuesday while transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway in the vicinity of Wellesley Island, N.Y.
The freighter is currently anchored upriver, about one-third of a mile from the Thousand Island Bridge. Vessel traffic has been suspended. There are no reported injuries to the crew and no reported pollution at this time.
A dive team conducted an underwater hull survey Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning and determined the vessel was aground but stable.
A contracted salvage team is en route to the grounded freighter. Once on scene, they will review the hull inspection report as well as current weather and water conditions as they develop a plan for safe removal of the vessel. The salvage plan must be reviewed and approved by the Coast Guard.
Investigators from Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Massena, N.Y., are currently investigating the incident.
“The Coast Guard continues to work with our partners to minimize the impact of the grounding on the St. Lawrence Seaway region,” said Cmdr. Dan Jones, chief of response for Coast Guard Sector Buffalo. “The safety of the crew, public and environment remains our top priority.”
The Coast Guard and SLSDC were notified Tuesday afternoon of the disabled freighter Federal Kivalina, a 656-foot, Hong Kong-flagged freighter carrying 23,000 metric tons of canola seeds.
Response crews from Coast Guard Station Alexandria Bay, New York State Parks Police, New York State Police, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, and inspectors from MSD Massena and the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation responded to assist the vessel and its crew.
For more information, please contact the SLSDC at 202-366-0091. All questions pertaining to vessel traffic should also be directed to the SLSDC.
RELEASE FROM MAY 27
(CLEVELAND) — The Coast Guard is responding to a disabled freighter that lost steering earlier today while transiting the St. Lawrence Seaway in the vicinity of Wellesley Island, N.Y.
The freighter is currently anchored upriver, about one-third of a mile from the Thousand Island Bridge. There are no reported injuries to the crew and no reported pollution at this time.
At 2 p.m., a Jefferson County, N.Y., 911 dispatcher notified a watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo of an adrift freighter in the vicinity of Wellesley Island and the Thousand Island Bridge. Upon notification, the Coast Guard launched a response crew from Coast Guard Station Alexandria Bay, N.Y., and Marine Safety Detachment Massena, N.Y.
The captain of Federal Kivalina, a 656-foot, Hong Kong-flagged freighter carrying 23,000 metric tons of canola seeds, reported losing steering in the St. Lawrence Seaway. The crew of the freighter dropped three anchors to slow its drift.
The Coast Guard notified the New York State Bridge Authority of the situation, who shut down the Thousand Island Bridge for about 10 minutes as a precaution while the vessel was still adrift.
Response crews from Station Alexandria Bay, New York State Parks Police, New York State Police, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, and inspectors from MSD Massena and the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. are either on scene or en route.
There are 22 crewmembers aboard the freighter. They will remain on board as long as the situation does not worsen.
“The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. and Coast Guard inspectors are on scene to ensure the safety of the vessel and the people aboard,” said Cmdr. Dan Jones, chief of response for Coast Guard Sector Buffalo. “The safety of the crew and the environment are our main concerns.”
