(WASHINGTON) — On Dec. 10, 2023, about 0139 local time, a tow guided by the towboat William E Strait was pushed in to the bank on the Lower Mississippi River near Norco, La., when the towing vessel Steel Skipper, which was reconfiguring the tow, pushed it astern. William E Strait contacted two moored barges upstream at the Shell Norco Refinery dock, damaging the barges and dock.
There were no injuries and no pollution was reported. Damage to the moored barges and facility was estimated at $501,000.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of the contact of the towing vessel William E Strait with moored barges at the Shell Norco Refinery dock was the William E Strait mate not recognizing the proximity of the unlit barges astern of his towboat as the vessel was pushed astern by the assisting fleeting tug. Contributing was the dense fog and rain, which obscured visibility during the operation.
“According to the mate, the two moored barges did not have deck or running lights and were only lit by a spotlight from the dock. Additionally, a dense fog advisory was in effect at the time, which the mate said reduced visibility,” the NTSB report said. “Because of
the reduced visibility, the mate, who was on the bridge at the time, did not recognize that his vessel was in danger of contacting the moored barges and dock aft of the tow, and therefore did not use his engines to attempt to avoid them.”
Click here to read the complete report.
– National Transportation Safety Board
