NYACK – The Coast Guard Saturday at sunset suspended the search
for two people missing in the Hudson River near the Tappan Zee Bridge
more than 12 hours after a tugboat struck a barge and sank. A third person
was recovered from the river and pronounced dead.
“The suspension of an active search and rescue case without definitive
resolution is a very difficult decision to make, said Rodger Krass, Sector
New York search and rescue mission coordinator. “There were many
assets from various agencies searching by air and by sea, but pending
further developments, we have decided to suspend the active search.”
First notification of collision was received at 5:20 a.m. Saturday shortly
after the 84-foot tugboat “Specialist” struck the barge and
sank with three people aboard. Coast Guard Station New York launched a
45-foot response boat to search for the three people in the water. Ten
minutes later, the one man was pulled from the water by a first responder.
Tappan Zee Constructors, the builders of the new bridge, had a crew of
21 workers on their barge at the time; none were injured when the tugboat
struck.
After striking the barge the tugboat began leaking up to 5,000 gallons
of diesel fuel, creating a fuel slick some 100 yards wide and five miles
long.
Local law enforcement deployed a fuel-containing apparatus to the water
due to a visible sheen. Westchester has initiated a cleanup agreement
with a private company, Miller Environmental Group, to manage the diesel
spill with a state Department of Environmental Conservation oil spill
team on the scene to monitor and support the cleanup.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state will conduct “a full investigation
to understand exactly what led to today’s events and provide more
information s it becomes available.”
