Tugboat Strikes Historic Brooklyn Bridge

Posted in New York Maritime News,Tug Boat Accidents on March 14, 2012

A crane barge being towed on NY’s East River Tuesday accidentally struck the bottom of the historic Brooklyn Bridge causing a nearly 50 foot long gash in the metal scaffolding used by crews working to repaint the bridge.

The NYFD says that there were no reports of injuries in Tuesday night’s tugboat allision and officials add that there doesn’t appear to be any sort of structural damage to the world famous bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn.

The crane barge was being towed by the 186 dwt Thomas Dann (pictured below) tugboat which is owned and operated by Dann Ocean Towing.  The tug captain is expected to be interviewed at Port Newark.

The incident is the latest in what seems to be an increasing number of vessel allision’s with throughout the inland waterways.

Dann Ocean Towing, Inc., based in Tampa, FL., owns and operates a fleet of 12 US flagged tugboats.