Donjon salvags sunken barge under Newport Pell Bridge.
Donjon Marine, Co., Inc., a provider of multi-faceted marine services including marine salvage, heavy lift, dredging and related emergency response services, was contracted in early November 2011 to raise a 300-ton barge used as a platform for painting supplies and disposal equipment that sank in 100 feet of water after a violent Nor’Easter storm near Newport Pell Bridge in Newport, Rhode Island. The barge also contained oil in three tanks with a reported 2,400 gallons of fuel at the time of the sinking.
Working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, the barge owners, underwriters, and environmental groups, Donjon’s salvage crews and divers devised a salvage plan, worked to clear the barge of hazardous materials and oil, and with its 1,000-ton floating crane Chesapeake 1,000, lifted the barge with a number of slings. The job was successfully completed in 33 days.
“This project required experience in professional heavy lift salvage, deep water diving, and environmental remediation, to name just a few,” said John A. Witte, Jr., Executive Vice President of Donjon. “Donjon Marine brings all of these capabilities and over 40 years of cost-effective service in response to the needs of the marine community to each job it completes,” he continued. Donjon’s work is well-known in the New England area, performing several jobs over the last 30 years including salvaging the tug Scandia and barge North Cape.For more information about Donjon Marine Co., Inc., visit www.donjon.com.