Inclement weather caused a 305-foot suction dredge vessel to run aground near the south jetty of the Brownsville Santiago Pass at South Padre Island late last month. The ship's hull integrity was compromised, suffering severe damage in the maritime accident.

The Coast Guard reports that after sending a distress call to Marine Safety Detachment Brownsville on January 24th, the crew of the Texas worked quickly to move dangerous fuel from the ship, transferring it to a nearby vessel. This transfer greatly reduced the risk of pollution to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. No one suffered serious injury or death as a result of the boat accident.

The ship, owned and operated by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, was towed from the jetty where the incident occurred to Port Isabel. The vessel remained under inspection there for a period of time following the maritime accident prior to the initiation of the repair process. The situation was subject to such a thorough investigation in order to determine if negligence played a factor in the maritime accident, and if so, how much of a contribution the negligence actually was to the incident and which parties were allegedly negligible.

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock partnered with Coast Guard officials in assessing damage and creating a repair plan for the damaged vessel. The boating company had their dredge vessel in the Browns Ship Channel because they had been contracted by the Army Corps of Engineers to aid in the effort to provide re-nourishment to beaches on South Padre Island.

Sources: The Brownsville Herald "Damaged dredge being repaired" 1/24/11