A runaway barge on the Columbia River has been secured 12 miles east of the Hood River Bridge on the Washington side of the river near the town of Lyle.
The 80- to 100-foot derelict barge broke away from its mooring around 9:12 a.m. Sunday and drifted 3 miles downriver from The Dalles Dam. By 3 p.m., it had drifted about 5 miles downriver, where it grounded briefly near River Mile 184.
It floated back into the river at 8:45 p.m. Sunday and grounded 12 miles east of the Hood River Bridge on the Washington side of the river near the town of Lyle.
At 11:32 p.m., contractors brought a tugboat to secure the barge.
There is a safety zone around the barge put in place by the Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. All other vessels within a mile of the barge’s location should contact the Coast Guard for safety information.
There is no pollution threat from the barge. The Army Corps of Engineers and Coast Guard are assessing the barge and looking for a safe location to place it away from the navigation channel.
