Bulker lost steering on St. Lawrence Seaway
Shipping on the St. Lawrence Seaway in the area of the American Narrows was halted on May 27, 2014, after athe "Federal Kivalina" lost its steering near the Thousand Islands Bridge at 1:47 p.m. The crew of the freighter dropped three anchors to slow its drift 1/3 mile off the bridge.
The ship was not grounded, and the bridge remained open.
The ship dropped the bow anchors while approaching the bridge, allowing the ship to perform a 360-degree turn, thus preventing the ship from drifting downriver and risking an allision with the bridge. No pollution was released into the river and no one was injured. At 2 p.m., a Jefferson County, New York, 911 dispatcher notified a watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo of the adrift freighter in the vicinity of Wellesley Island. Upon notification, the Coast Guard launched a response crew from Coast Guard Station Alexandria Bay, New York, and Marine Safety Detachment Massena, New York. The Coast Guard notified the New York State Bridge Authority of the situation, who shut down the Thousand Island Bridge was shut down 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 Corporation were either on scene or en route. There were 22 crewmembers aboard the freighter. The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and Coast Guard inspectors were on scene to ensure the safety of the vessel and the people aboard. A tug of Abaco Marina, Clayton, went to the scene soon after the incident, but returned to Clayton pending a plan for the ship’s removal. The bulker was carrying canola meal. In the morning of May 28 the vessel was still in the same position.
The freighter Federal Kivalina, a 656-foot Hong Kong-flagged vessel, sits in the St. Lawrence Seaway during transit, May 26, 2014. The Federal Kivalina lost power, is disabled and anchored near the Thousand Island Bridge, May 27, 2014. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Coorporation)
Shipping on the St. Lawrence Seaway in the area of the American Narrows was halted on May 27, 2014, after athe "Federal Kivalina" lost its steering near the Thousand Islands Bridge at 1:47 p.m. The crew of the freighter dropped three anchors to slow its drift 1/3 mile off the bridge.
The ship was not grounded, and the bridge remained open.
The ship dropped the bow anchors while approaching the bridge, allowing the ship to perform a 360-degree turn, thus preventing the ship from drifting downriver and risking an allision with the bridge. No pollution was released into the river and no one was injured. At 2 p.m., a Jefferson County, New York, 911 dispatcher notified a watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo of the adrift freighter in the vicinity of Wellesley Island. Upon notification, the Coast Guard launched a response crew from Coast Guard Station Alexandria Bay, New York, and Marine Safety Detachment Massena, New York. The Coast Guard notified the New York State Bridge Authority of the situation, who shut down the Thousand Island Bridge was shut down 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 Corporation were either on scene or en route. There were 22 crewmembers aboard the freighter. The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and Coast Guard inspectors were on scene to ensure the safety of the vessel and the people aboard. A tug of Abaco Marina, Clayton, went to the scene soon after the incident, but returned to Clayton pending a plan for the ship’s removal. The bulker was carrying canola meal. In the morning of May 28 the vessel was still in the same position.
The freighter Federal Kivalina, a 656-foot Hong Kong-flagged vessel, sits in the St. Lawrence Seaway during transit, May 26, 2014. The Federal Kivalina lost power, is disabled and anchored near the Thousand Island Bridge, May 27, 2014. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Coorporation)