Last week, the Coast Guard transitioned from pollution response to the investigation phase of a major marine casualty that occurred July 5 on the Illinois River. It involved three towboats that sank in the river near Hardin, Ill.
Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River received a report of the three towboats and a deck barge that were tied together and were taking on water at mile marker 20.7 on the Illinois River. Sector UMR responded to the scene to find all three vessels fully submerged.
The...