Dunkirk, N.Y. (WBEN) - A barge being towed from Erie, Pennsylvania to Buffalo came loose overnight and is now beached at Van Buren Point near Dunkirk. The Coast Guard says the owner hopes to have it out by Thursday.
The U.S. Coast Guard says a towing vessel was carrying two barges from Erie to Buffalo overnight when one of the lines connecting the barges parted, resulting in the second barge in the tow breaking free and drifting ashore.
The Coast Guard says the barge pulls aggregate materials. It has determined the barge is empty.
The owner is responsible for removing the barge, and the Coast Guard says the owner hopes to have a line connected from the barge to a tugboat to complete removal of the boat tomorrow.
The Coast Guard adds the barge is in two feet of water, and with a small craft advisory, removing it with a small flat-bottomed boat would be hazardous.
Bruce Barclay
Bruce Barclay
Bruce Barclay
