Ohio River near Pittsburgh is closed as crews search for missing barge, one of 26 that broke loose

A stretch of the Ohio River near Pittsburgh remained closed to maritime traffic Monday as crews equipped with sonar searched for a ship believed to have sunk over the weekend — one of more than two dozen ships that broke free and drifted down the river.

The U.S. Coast Guard has launched an investigation into how 26 river vessels broke free from their moorings late Friday, hitting a bridge and causing extensive damage to a marina. All but three ships were loaded with coal, fertilizer and other dry cargo.

Pittsburgh police and Coast Guard officials said no injuries were reported and no hazardous materials were released into the river.

The area was hit by flooding Thursday after heavy rains, and Coast Guard investigators were looking at high tides as a possible cause or factor, Cmdr. said. Justin Jolley of the Coast Guard Maritime Safety Unit in Pittsburgh.

Eleven of the ships were tied to the riverbank and held by a tugboat, while nine were secured downstream at Emsworth Lock and Dam. The remaining ships went over the dam and one remained missing.

“We are optimistic that we can pinpoint where that ship is today or tomorrow and then we can mark it accordingly and restore navigation,” Jolley told The Associated Press Monday morning.

Officials were working on a salvage plan to recover the other ships.

The ships were owned or operated by Campbell Transportation Co. Company officials were on the scene Monday morning and were not immediately available for comment.

“I think we were very fortunate given the conditions here: there were no injuries or threats to life, no pollution and no major reports of infrastructure damage to the Army Corps locks and dams so far,” Jolley said.