About 50 Looters Board & Rob Barge Anchored Off Bahamas After Tug Breakdown

A Trailer Bridge barge positioned about three miles off the Bahamas was targeted by approximately 50 looters on 13 November, prompting the shipping company to seek immediate help from U.S. and Bahamian authorities.

The barge, Brooklyn Bridge, was stationary at the time due to an earlier breakdown involving its towing vessel. Trailer Bridge reported that a large group boarded the barge and began stealing cargo, leading the company to alert the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy.

The Bahamian police also sent a unit to the location, but officers stated they would not intervene directly because they were concerned the situation could escalate into violence.

Trailer Bridge’s CEO, Mitch Luciano, said in a company statement that the incident was developing quickly and that, according to their latest information, the barge was actively being robbed.

Luciano stated that the safety of the company’s personnel remained the top priority and that both U.S. and Bahamian authorities had been notified. He added that more information would be released once the barge was secured.

The incident followed a mechanical failure on 11 November involving the tug Southern Dawn, which had encountered severe winds while travelling to Puerto Rico.

The adverse weather caused a tow wire to fail, grounding the tug off the Bahamian coast and delaying the barge’s journey. The Brooklyn Bridge remained in place awaiting recovery when the looting began.

Trailer Bridge, based in Jacksonville, Florida, operates two roll-on/roll-off vessels and two load-on/load-off vessels between Jacksonville and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The company said updates would be provided once the situation stabilises and the barge is fully secured.

Reference: trailerbridge

Source: Maritime Shipping News