Coast Guard crews are responding to a second barge grounding in 24 hours near Long Boat Key, Fla., Tuesday, after heavy weather caused a tugboat to lose control of the two barges it was pushing.
Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector St. Petersburg received notification at 2 a.m., Tuesday, that the operator of tug Abe H was having difficulty steering due to weather and was unable to control the two barges approximately one mile west of Longboat Key. The operator told watchstanders that he was able to anchor one barge; however, while attempting to gain control of the other, the line parted and the 180' barge began drifting until it grounded on the beach at Anna Maria Island.
Watchstanders launched Coast Guard Cutter Hawk, an 87' Coastal Patrol Boat homeported in St. Petersburg, Fla., and a 45' Response Boat-Medium boatcrew from Station Cortez to assist. Command posts were established on Anna Maria Island and at Sector St. Petersburg.
Wednesday, due to deteriorating weather, the barge spuds were unable to keep the anchored 140' barge from drifting to the beach. Coast Guard incident management personnel from Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., are on scene overseeing the operation. No pollution has been reported.
"We were monitoring the barge throughout the night, said Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Garza, member of sector's incident management department. "It was anchored about one half mile from shore. We were prepared for the possibility it could start drifting and as soon as it did, we deployed our emergency responders to assess the situation."
