Houston Spill Audio Reveals Contact Before Collision

Published Apr 1, 2014 7:09 PM by The Maritime Executive

The US Coast Guard has released audio of the radio traffic between the bulk carrier and the tank barge prior to their collision in the Houston Chanel on March 22.

In the audio recording, posted by the Houston Chronicle, the Houston pilot onboard the inbound MV Summer Wind bulk carrier warns the captain of the Kirby Inland towboat MV Miss Susan when they first make contact: “Well, if you keep on going, I’m going to get you unless you are doing seven or eight knots, ‘cause right now I’m less than three quarters of a mile from you.”

Nearly 170,000 gallons of bunker fuel spilled in Galveston Bay when the ships collided. A crew of about 90 workers has been deployed to clean up tar balls that are reaching the coast between Port Aransas to North Padre.

Meanwhile, KHOU reports that this wasn’t the first spill in the area for Houston-based Kirby Inland Marine. According to the Texas General Land Office, the company was involved in an incident where 44,100 gallons of oil was discharged into Galveston Bay in 2001.