On April 9, the 32-foot tugboat City of Sistersville II, with a displacement of 14 tons, sank on the Ohio River near Sistersville, West Virginia.
The incident occurred shortly after the vessel was relaunched following winter lay-up ashore. The crew noticed water ingress into the hull, but were unable to identify the source of the flooding.
In an attempt to save the vessel, the crew moved toward the dock, hoping to use a pump system to remove the water.
However, due to high river levels, it was not possible to position the pump close enough, and the situation quickly escalated.
As a result, the tugboat sank near the pier.
Authorities confirmed that no signs of pollution were detected, although containment booms were deployed as a precaution.
The vessel is expected to be recovered, but will remain out of service for some time.
