The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating a close call between a barge-towing tugboat and a Jet Ski in Christiansted Harbor over the weekend.
USCG Lt. Keith Pelletier said an outbound tugboat towing an empty fuel oil barge in the Water and Power Authority channel Saturday afternoon had to make several quick maneuvers to avoid the Jet Ski.
The quick right and left turns caused the barge to ride up and bump the tug, Pelletier said.
But the main problem occurred when the slack tow line became tangled in the tug’s left propeller. The tug’s crew was able to control the vessel with the right propeller but had to shut that down when divers went into the water to check damage.
With no power, the tug drifted slowly into the sandy edge of the channel dredged through the harbor for vessels to have access to the WAPA fuel dock.
Pelletier indicated that because of the sandy bottom in the area, damage to the tug was minimal. The barge didn't run aground and no oil spillage was reported from either.
The Coast Guard will interview the operator of the Jet Ski as part of its continuing investigation.
