USACE Tugboat Sunk in St. Mary's River, Great Lakes Area

Coast Guard crews are continuing to respond to a tug that sank in the upper St. Marys River and has been located near lighted buoy 35

The tug Bill Maier, which was towing three barges and the tug Hammond Bay alerted Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. when the crew lost sight of the Hammond Bay.

After securing the barges, the Bill Maier’s crew attempted to locate the lost tug. They reported finding an oil sheen and a life ring from the lost tug, which led them to believe that the tug had sunk.

There was no one aboard the tug Hammond Bay at the time it became lost. Both the two tugboats,  Bill Maier and Hammond Bay are  owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

The Army Corps of Engineers survey vessel Bufe located the sunken tug Hammond Bay in the St. Mary’s River in 37 feet of water with 27 feet of overhead clearance near lighted buoy 35.

The Coast Guard is enforcing a 500 foot safety zone around the sunken tug. Aside from the safety zone, normal traffic movement along the St. Mary’s River has been restored without restriction.

The Army Corps of Engineers is working on a salvage plan for Hammond Bay.