| Release #: M11-03 |
| Release date: Nov. 7, 2003 |
| Contact: Petty Officer Scott Carr |
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Coast Guard closes the Port of Jacksonville |
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JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Jacksonville has closed the Port of Jacksonville to commercial vessel traffic until further notice after a 50 to 60-foot dredge in the vicinity of Blount Island capsized spilling about 600-feet of dredge pipe into the St. Johns River about 12:20 a.m. today. A tugboat hit the dredge pipe breaking it into two sections that are reported to be between Blount Island and the Intracoastal Waterway. One of the sections of pipe also hit buoy #27 and has moved the buoy off station. The Coast Guard is encouraging all pleasure craft to stay out of this area until the dredge pipe can be recovered. The last commercial vessel to leave the Port of Jacksonville was the motor vessel Ocean Ace which was already underway when the Coast Guard closed the port. The Ocean Ace departed the port without incident. The Coast Guard will conduct a joint survey of the river with the St. Johns Bar Pilots at first light to determine what actions are necessary to open the port to commercial traffic as soon as possible. -uscg- The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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