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Two dead, two missing from dredger fire in Corpus Christi, USCG calls off searchTwo dead, two missing from dredger fire in Corpus Christi, USCG calls off search

The US Coast Guard (USCG) has called off the search for two remaining missing crew from the dredger Waymon L Boyd, which caught fire and sank in the Port of Corpus Christi, while the bodies of two others were recovered.

Marcus Hand, Editor

August 24, 2020

1 Min Read
USCGdredgerfire
US Coast Guard crews respond to dredger fire in the Port of Corpus ChristiPhotos: Courtesy US Coast Guard District 8

The USCG rescued two of the six crew onboard from the Waymon L Boyd following reports of a fire in the Port of Corpus Christi at 8-12am on Friday.

The fire on the vessel was extinguished at 10pm on Friday after it broke apart and sank.

On Saturday search and rescue operations by USCG recovered the bodies of two of the four missing crew from the dredger, the search for two other missing crew was suspended.

Dive and salvage operations commenced at 10am on Sunday and piece of the dredging vessel was located in the middle of the channel and is currently in the process of being safely removed.

USCGdredgerfire2.jpg

The accident resulted in an oil spill and approximately 1,600 gallons of diesel fuel has been removed from the water and 680 gallons of diesel fuel/water was skimmed overnight.

“The Captain of the Port has reopened the Corpus Christi Ship Channel with certain restrictions from Chemical Basin to Viola Basin," said Sean Strawbridge, ceo, Port of Corpus Christi. "While the search and rescue mission for the lost crewmen of the Waymon L Boyd has concluded, the suffering of the injured crew members and the families of those lost still endures. Our heartfelt prayers are with them all.

“The Port of Corpus Christi and the Incident Management Team continues the recovery and salvage of the vessel in partnership with Orion Marine Group, and we thank the Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas General Land Office as well as our local, state and federal elected officials for their leadership during this tragic incident."

Related:USCG medevacs injured seafarer from Yang Ming containership

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About the Author

Marcus Hand

Editor

Marcus Hand is the editor of Seatrade Maritime News and a dedicated maritime journalist with over two decades of experience covering the shipping industry in Asia.

Marcus is also an experienced industry commentator and has chaired many conferences and round tables. Before joining Seatrade at the beginning of 2010, Marcus worked for the shipping industry journal Lloyd's List for a decade and before that the Singapore Business Times covering shipping and aviation.

In November 2022, Marcus was announced as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Singapore Journal of Maritime Talent and Technology (SJMTT) to help bring together thought leadership around the key areas of talent and technology.

Marcus is the founder of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast that delivers commentary, opinions and conversations on shipping's most important topics.

Conferences & Webinars

Marcus Hand regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

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