The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard:
(PORT CANAVERAL, Fla.) — The Mobro 1210, a 144-foot barge that broke free from a tug boat and grounded near the entrance of Port Canaveral Monday morning, was refloated at approximately 2 p.m. and moored at a Port Canaveral pier.
The Coast Guard was notified at approximately 1:40 a.m. Monday that the barge was aground near the Port Canaveral Jetty Entrance. Shortly afterward the crew of the Tug Boat Megan Beyel confirmed that it lost control of the barge. The contents of the cargo included inert, non-explosive exercise torpedoes, batteries and household goods that posed no significant danger to the public.
A multi-agency incident command post consisting of the Coast Guard, Cape Canaveral Fire Department, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Port Canaveral Port Authority, Military Sealift Command, Port Canaveral Harbor Master and Representatives from Beyel Brothers established a safety and security zone around the barge and formulated the salvage plan. Additional support was provided by the following: Brevard County Office of Emergency Management, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, Naval Undersea Warfare Command and the Naval Ordnance testing unit.
The Coast Guard will conduct an investigation to identify the cause of the barge release and grounding in an effort to prevent future incidents from happening.
There were no reports of pollution or impact to navigation or transiting vessels.
