Two and a half days after it capsized in the Fraser River on the night of August 13th, tugboat George H Ledcor was raised to the surface using slings and a large crane. Tug owner Ledcor Group tweeted the boat would be drained or “dewatered” into a special foul water containment tank.
Officials have not yet said how much diesel was aboard or how much has spilled, although the amount lost was expected to be far lower than the 22,000 litres the tug was capable of carrying.
The 20-metre-long tugboat capsized late at night while towing a gravel barge near Deering Island in South Vancouver.
David Hoff of Ledcor Group said earlier that as much as 600 litres of diesel had been recovered in the first 24 hours after the accident.
The vessel was lifted at 10:30 Thursday morning and the Canadian Coast Guard said that plans were underway to tow it to Mitchell Island.
A large crane and barge was brought in to assist in the salvage, which took place alongside Sea Island in Richmond. Divers were deployed to plug vents to stem the escape of diesel fuel. They also manoeuvred the slings into place.
The recovery mission was complicated by strong river currents and tides in the area. while the waters of the Fraser River are muddy, making visibility underwater a challenge.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sunken-fraser-river-tugboat-finally-raised-1.4788067