Canal Remains Closed Due to Boat Accident
A main shipping channel between northeast ports and Baltimore will remain closed for up to seven days because of the sinking Friday of a tugboat and the presumed death of a crew member, officials said late Saturday.
Five crew members, including the captain, were pulled from the murky waters of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal by fishermen and local rescue units Friday. Four were treated for minor injuries at a hospital and released, according to authorities.
The Bay Titan, a 115-foot-long, 32-foot-wide tugboat, was northbound on the Delaware River and had just turned west into the canal when the accident took place. The boat is submerged upside-down in 47 feet of water at the entrance to the canal, about 25 miles south of Wilmington.
The accident occurred when a barge “went out of control and gained speed, passing the tug and dragging the rear of the tug sideways, causing it to overturn and dive,” Delaware State Police spokesman Cpl. Walter Newton said.
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