The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began the deepening of the Mississippi River Ship Channel, which will provide a draft of 50-feet from the Port of Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico—more than 256 miles of the Mississippi River.
NTSB issued an investigation report on the capsizing and sinking of the workboat MSRC 8-1, resulting in two fatalities while at Boothville Anchorage, Lower Mississippi River, in January 2019. The report highlighted an unforeseen risk associated with conducting the exercise in a strong current, although the company’s safety procedures and crew training were adequate.
NTSB issued an investigation report on the contact of the bulk carrier Dank Silver with a fender of the Sunshine Bridge in the Lower Mississippi River, in June 2019. The investigation identified the pilot’s decision to turn the vessel off the dock, instead of going upriver, as key cause of the accident.
A Liberian-flagged container ship ran aground near mile marker 81 of the Mississippi River, in the early morning hours of Friday, the US Coast Guard informed.
The US Coast Guard has closed the Mississippi River between mile markers 115 and 122 after a vessel allided with the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge, Sunday.
This time of the year, the Mississippi River may experience high water levels due to the melting snow in the upper Mississippi Valley. As a consequence of the meltwater, increased currents can be expected.
While underway in March 2019, the heavy lift vessel Hawk collided with a barge and a destroyer on Mississippi river. The NTSB issued an investigation report on the collision, identifying exceeding speed as key cause of the accident.
On Wednesday 13 February, the US Coast Guard along with several local authorities responded to a multi-barge breakaway close to the Upper Mississippi River. Specifically, the breakaway occurred near mile markers 176 and 177 of the river.
Standard Club informed that it has seen a recent increase of incidents involving lost anchors, which are potentially related to high water levels in the Mississippi river.
