Grounded barge Defiant moves 30 feet after refloating attempt

The U.S. Coast Guard said response personnel and salvage teams would meet Tuesday to reassess the plan for freeing the still-grounded fuel barge Defiant and make adjustments before a second tugboat-assisted refloating attempt during the next high tide today.

By THE STAR STAFF

The U.S. Coast Guard reported Tuesday that a tugboat attempted to refloat the barge Defiant at high tide early in the morning and moved it nearly 30 feet from its original grounding position.

“In close coordination with our partners, we made gradual and positive progress in removing the barge,” Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Ray López said in a written statement.

“The vessel moved approximately 30 feet, and in the next operational window, we expect an increase in swell to assist in refloating,” he added. “Our priority is to safely remove the barge without risk of further damage to the environment or the waterway.”

The Coast Guard said the response personnel and salvage teams would meet during the day to reassess the plan and make adjustments before a second tugboat-assisted refloating attempt during the next high tide today.