A tugboat began to list and partially capsize just south of the Brightman Street Bridge in Fall River on Saturday evening, setting off a fast, coordinated response on the water. Fall River harbormaster crews and police moved in quickly, rigging new lines to steady the tug and keep it from sinking or drifting into the main shipping channel. Crews also deployed floating containment around the vessel and stayed on scene while waiting for specialized heavy-lift equipment to arrive.
Lines Snapped As Tug Shifted In The Current
According to a post by the City of Fall River Police Department, responders watched several of the lines holding the tug snap as the vessel shifted its weight. Crews scrambled to run fresh lines to stop a full capsize and to keep the tug from sliding into the channel. The post notes that the FRPD harbormaster worked alongside the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Fall River Fire Department and several partner agencies throughout the operation. The update, posted at about 8:27 p.m., adds that responders set up protective containment on the water to limit any potential release of fuel or other contaminants.
Containment Gear Ready For Spill Threats
Massachusetts environmental officials maintain spill-response trailers and trained teams that supply containment boom, absorbent materials and on-call contractors for coastal incidents. Those resources are staged for quick local deployment to limit fuel sheens and shoreline impacts, according to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. MassDEP says it routinely drills with the U.S. Coast Guard and local fire departments so marine-spill responses unfold as smoothly as possible when an incident like this hits.
Narrow Taunton River Channel Raises Stakes For Salvage
The Brightman Street Bridge is located at about mile 1.8 of the Taunton River, and the Fall River harbor channel is a relatively tight working waterway that feeds into Mount Hope Bay, which can complicate salvage and lifting operations. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the harbor channel and notes that commercial traffic and dredged navigation lanes make keeping that corridor clear a top priority for responders.
Crews Holding The Line Until Heavy Gear Moves In
Fall River police said crews would remain on scene reinforcing lines until the specialized heavy equipment capable of lifting and stabilizing a vessel of this size arrives, at which point a more permanent recovery operation will begin. The department's City of Fall River Police Department post says partner agencies are staying in place to monitor the containment and continue securing the tug as conditions evolve.
