Towboat Sinks After Colliding With Ship Near Luling, La.
Around 7:40 p.m. December 29, the mv. Patrick J. Studdert, an 87-foot by 32-foot towboat operated by Buffalo Marine Service, collided with the bulk cargo ship Clara B near Lower Mississippi River Mile 122.5, just upriver from Luling, La. The collision occurred shortly after the Patrick J. Studdert departed from Magnolia Fleet’s Mile 122 location.
Moments after the collision, the Patrick J. Studdert sank. At the time of the collision, the Studdert had five crew members on board, with all five making it off the vessel and into the water before the vessel went down.
A MRTIS (Mississippi River Traffic Information Service) replay of the collision and response posted to Facebook captures the remarkable response by vessels in the area, with the mvs. Mary Moran, Jack Estes, James Golding, Alley Cat, Ray Eckstein, Louisiana Heritage, Louisiana Paradise and Ryan Anthony all converging just downriver of where the collision occurred. The Mary Moran, part of Moran Towing’s fleet of tugboats, was first to the scene, with the Moran crew pulling all five of the Studdert’s crew members from the water.
“The Coast Guard received notification following the safe retrieval of the five crew members who were in the water,” Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony Randisi said. “The crew members were attended to by emergency medical services from St. Charles Hospital.”
Mark Koenig, general manager for Moran Towing in New Orleans, made the following statement to The Waterways Journal: “We’re grateful that the crew of the Mary Moran was able to respond quickly in a time of need, and that their extensive training and expertise helped ensure swift, safe assistance. We know that the crew of the Patrick J. Studdert would do the same in the spirit of helping other mariners when the need arises.”
Following the collision, the Coast Guard closed the river between Miles 120 and 123 to navigation, with the river reopening to marine traffic by about 11 that night. After the collision, the Clara B was anchored at the Bonnet Carré Anchorage for a damage assessment. According to the Coast Guard, the Patrick J. Studdert sank in the vicinity of Mile 122.4, about 600 feet off the right descending bank in about 90 feet of water.
Randisi stated the vessel’s owner and operator are “cooperating with the Coast Guard and local agencies to enact a salvage plan.” The incident remains under investigation.
At press time, the Coast Guard had announced a planned 36-hour closure of the river between Mile 121.5 and Mile 123 from 6:30 a.m. January 4 to 6:30 p.m. January 5 for salvaging the Patrick J. Studdert. Vessel Traffic Service Lower Mississippi River will manage the vessel queue once the channel reopens to navigation. Updates regarding the closure will be announced via broadcast notice to managers or by email.
According to the Inland River Record, the mv. Patrick J. Studdert was built in 2012 by Sneed Shipbuilding. The twin screw towboat has Cummins KTA38-M0 main engines paired to Reintjes reduction gears that produce 2,000 hp. The Patrick J. Studdert is owned by Kingwood, Texas-based Shamrock Marine LLC and operated by Houston-based Buffalo Marine Service.
