CORNWALL, Ontario – Divers delayed their work until Friday at a capsized tugboat in Cornwall but a Canadian Coast Guard helicopter was making overflights of the wreck Wednesday.
J.J. Brickett, a superintendent of environmental response with the Canadian Coast Guard, said in an interview the divers will assess the status of the wrecked Lac Manitoba tug that continues to sit capsized in the St. Lawrence River.
The diving operation will address how the wreck can be salvaged.
“They have to get a little closer look at the wreck,” he said. “With any diving ops the first (priority) is safety.”
Brickett said the fuel tanks of both the Lac Manitoba and LCM 131 – the smaller of the two tugs to capsize Monday – appear to be stable.
A small amount of diesel fuel has been “trickling” from the wrecks, but Brickett suggested the “sheen” covering the water around the wrecks appears to have dissipated.
Both tugs capsized at different times Monday while trying to maneuver a barge on the river that will be used to demolish the high-level Seaway International Bridge.
The CCG and partner agencies are also addressing potential issues for wildlife. The public is asked to report any soiled wildlife in the area of the sinking to the following telephone number 1-519-583-1080
Observers on the coast guard flight include representatives from the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment.
The coast guard said Wednesday the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada is the lead agency investigating the incident.
