Captain Rescued After Tugboat Capsizes

A tugboat captain was rescued on Monday after his vessel, Andrew J., capsized in the Welland Canal. The tug was part of a group of vessels that was pushing an upbound barge into a lock when it overturned around 1 a.m.

The captain was the only crewmember aboard the tugboat and was rescued from the water by one of the nearby vessels [pictured above] in his team. No injuries were reported, but the captain is under hospital observation as a precautionary measure.

A small amount of diesel spilled into the water.

The west lane of the flight locks remains closed until the salvage operation is complete; otherwise, the canal is open to St Lawrence Seaway traffic. A representative from the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. notes that this type of incident is extremely rare.

An investigation has been launched to find out the cause of the sinking.

The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada that extends 26 miles from Port Weller, Ontario, on Lake Ontario, to Port Colborne, Ontario, on Lake Erie. As a part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, this canal enables ships to ascend and descend the Niagara Escarpment and to bypass Niagara Falls. Approximately 40,000,000 tonnes of cargo are carried through the Welland Canal annually by traffic of about 3,000 ocean and Great Lakes vessels.