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Need a bigger crane

UPDATE 11:38 a.m.

Salvage crews will attempt to raise a sunken tug in the Fraser River off Vancouver this afternoon.

A larger crane and barge, along with specialized crews, had to be brought in to help bring the George H Ledcor tug from the bottom of the river.

Coast guard spokesman Dan Bate says the tug was to be lifted this morning, but that's been delayed until slack tide.

The tug, operated by the Ledcor Group, was hauling a loaded gravel barge when it went down Monday night, although the cause of capsizing is still unclear.

The vessel has the capacity to carry 22,000 litres of diesel fuel, but Bate says it's unclear how much was in its fuel tank.


ORIGINAL 7:43 a.m.

A larger crane and barge, along with specialized crews, are expected to go to work today in the Fraser River to lift a capsized tug from the muddy bottom.

The George H. Ledcor, a barge-hauling tug operated by the Ledcor Group, went down Monday night between Vancouver and Richmond, although the reason is still unclear.

An update issued on social media by the Canadian Coast Guard says its vessels stayed at the scene through the night and will remain in command while salvage efforts are underway.

The larger crane was ordered for safety reasons and Ledcor Group spokesman David Hoff says it is due to arrive around 9 a.m..

Hoff says there is no scheduled time for the recovery attempt, but naval architects and marine salvage experts will make that decision based on factors that include tides.

Divers plugged vents on the tug Tuesday, stemming the flow of oil into the river, but officials still have not said how much diesel was in the tug's 22,000-litre fuel tanks when the vessel went down.

A tweet from the coast guard says overflights revealed a "significant decrease" in the amount of oil in the water, but the Musqueam First Nation says one of the best salmon returns in years is underway and members are very concerned.



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