The following is the text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:
(NEW YORK) — Crewmembers from the Coast Guard cutters Line and Willow worked with a commercial contracted tug to break tug Maryland out of thick ice near West Point, N.Y., on Wednesday.
Tugboat Maryland notified Coast Guard Sector New York Command Center watchstanders at approximately 3 a.m., requesting assistance after finding their vessel stuck in the ice near West Point.
The tug was transiting to Newburgh, N.Y., to deliver 26,929 barrels of home heating oil.
The cutter Line diverted and arrived on scene at approximately 8 a.m. to assist the tug.
Tug Maryland crewmembers contacted tugboat Jason Reinauer for assistance in breaking the ice around their vessel. Jason Reinauer arrived on scene and began pushing the vessel while the cutter Line broke up ice around the vessel’s hull.
The cutter Willow arrived on scene at 10 a.m., widening the track of open water so the cutter Line and tug Jason Reinauer could get the tug Maryland back underway. The tugboat Maryland was inoperable for more than five hours after becoming stuck on the Hudson River.
Coast Guard crews continue to support Operation Reliable Energy for Northeast Winters (OP RENEW), which is a regionwide effort to ensure Northeast communities have the security, supplies, and emergency resources they need throughout the winter.
“Operation Reliable Energy for Northeast Winters provides critical resources, like heating oil, to our community,” said Chief Petty Officer Bradford Long, officer in charge, cutter Line. “It was gratifying to work with another cutter and commercial industry to complete this important mission.”
Seventy-five percent of all heating oil used in the country is transported through New England, New York and New Jersey. Ninety-percent of that is delivered by barges through Coast Guard-protected ports. An average of 300 vessels transit the Hudson River during the winter months, carrying over 10 million barrels of petroleum products to the Northeast communities.
Coast Guard missions and capabilities are established to support investment security, innovation, and resilience, which are the foundations of a growing economy. The Coast Guard provides a safe, efficient, and navigable waterway system that supports domestic commerce, international trade, and national defense.
