Coast Guard members were recently dispatched to assist when a tug boat sank in the Calumet River. CBS reported on the accident, in which the Bonnie G. Selvick, a vessel nearly 60 feet long, capsized after the crew attempted to make too sharp of a turn. Tug boat insurance applies to full-scale damage such as this is not limited to problems that occur during working hours.
Fortunately, the two crew members aboard the sinking ship escaped with no injuries and contacted the authorities. Even so, the identities of the crew are being withheld, as the Coast Guard launches its official investigation.
In addition to examining the circumstances leading up to the accident, investigators are also determining how dangerous the wreckage is to local boat traffic and the environment. Though the remains of the boat are scheduled to be salvaged later this week, they still pose a threat of possible oil leakage or other forms of contamination.
Not far from there, another tug boat accident has also caused environmental concern recently. The Herald News has reported on an oil leak from a tug boat in the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois. Earlier last month, a defunct boat stationed in a local harbor for more than 20 years was found to be the source of an "oily sheen" on the river.
The Joliet Fire Department's Battalion Chief, Mike Stromberg, told the source that the sinking boat "was being salvaged and pumping out water that contained diesel fuel." The EPA was notified to aid in salvaging the ship.
Boat insurance coverage is an important factor for both the owners of leaking vessels and the crews that have to pick up after them.