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SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The U.S. Navy says it's investigating why a barge capsized at a stealth submarine research facility in northern Idaho.
The Spokesman-Review reported Wednesday that the 48-by-80-foot (15-by-24-meter) barge capsized in early February at the Acoustic Research Detachment base at Lake Pend Oreille.
The Navy says the experimental support platform was used to deploy large scale submarine models and to maintain an underwater sonic measurement system.
Navy Capt. Roxie Thomsen Merritt says a buildup of ice on the platform might have contributed, but the incident remains under investigation.
She says tugboats and other vessels started to haul the barge back to the base when it began to sink.
A Naval Sea Systems Command team was sent to stabilize the barge and put together a salvage and restoration plan.
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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com
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