Sunken Towboat Remains On Ohio River Due To High Water

On the afternoon of February 8, the Coast Guard received an alert that a towing vessel was sinking at Mile 259 on the Ohio River near Cheshire, Ohio.

The mv. Ed McLaughlin, owned by McGinnis Marine, had not been salvaged from the Ohio River as of February 14 due to strong currents and high water.

All three crewmembers who were aboard the vessel were taken to a local hospital and were reported to be in stable condition.

With approximately 4,900 gallons of diesel fuel on board the vessel, the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Huntington said it went to the scene to determine if the vessel is leaking fuel and to provide initial assessments of potential environmental and waterway impacts. A crew will remain on scene to monitor the situation until salvage is possible.

The 1,200 hp. mv. Ed McLaughlin, built by Serodino Inc. in 1977, was originally named the Midwestern. McGinnis purchased the vessel from Carlisle Equipment Group, Newport, Ky., in 2005.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.