TOTE containers washed overboard en route to Puerto Rico

The United States Coast Guard said a TOTE Maritime barge has been diverted to the Port of Palm Beach after “up to 25” containers were lost after the vessel left Port Canaveral.    A TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico barge lost several containers on Sunday while en route to Puerto Rico during bad weather, according to the United States Coast Guard.
   The barge, Columbia Elizabeth, was being towed by the tug Captain Latham along the coast of Florida, “when crew aboard noticed several cargo containers hanging over the port side of the barge and believed more had fallen into the water,” said the Coast Guard. The tug was operated by a company called Smith Marine.
   The barge was being chartered by TOTE, whose general cargo ship El Faro sank off the Bahama Islands on Oct. 1 after being caught in Hurricane Joaquin.
   “TOTE confirms that one of their chartered in barges, Columbia Elizabeth, experienced an issue on deck Sunday Dec. 6, that caused a number of containers to become unsecured. Representatives of the tug and barge’s owners are on scene with the vessel to work with authorities on the investigation,” said TOTE. The company added that arrangements are being made for the delivery of the rest of the cargo.
   The Captain Latham terminated its voyage towards Puerto Rico and the tug and barge were diverted to the Port of Palm Beach. 234 containers have been off-loaded from the barge and about another 75 remain on board, some damaged, said Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Ryan Doss.
   Doss said the Coast Guard estimates about 25 containers went overboard, but said it is difficult to determine an exact number because some of the containers on the barge were crushed when a stack collapsed. He said nine containers are confirmed to have been lost, with some spotted by aircraft.
   The containers will be reloaded on another barge, the Columbia Baltimore, which is already en route to Palm Beach, according to TOTE.
   The only potentially hazardous material in a container that is known to have been lost is battery acid. A container that was loaded with car or marine batteries is among those that went overboard.
   Doss said partially submerged containers could be a navigation hazard, especially to smaller boats.