Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Two vessels collided in a main shipping channel and a 751-foot cargo ship ran aground in the lower Chesapeake Bay on Tuesday in high winds gusting up to 70 mph, the Coast Guard said.
The 79-foot rig vessel Petite and the 1,065-foot container ship MSC Charleston collided about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday "due to weather" in the Thimble Shoal Channel, the Coast Guard said in a news release. There were no reports of injuries, damage or pollution and both vessels were safely anchored, the release said.
About an hour after the collision, the 751-foot bulk carrier Ornak, anchored at the Lynnhaven Anchorage east of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, ran aground near First Landing State Park, the Coast Guard said. There were no reports of injuries, damage or pollution from the grounding, and the vessel was not blocking other water traffic, said Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer First Class Brandyn Hill.
Winds gusting to 70 mph at Cape Henry caused 12 ships anchored in the vicinity of Lynnhaven to drag anchor, the Coast Guard said. The Virginia Pilot office dispatched 11 pilots and local tug boat companies were recruited to help stabilize the vessels and to aid others struggling in high winds to stay moored, the news release said.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
