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Relevant authorities arrive on the scene.
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There were no identifying marks on the barge as it sat lodged on the reef.
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A 30 x 23 ft barge was successfully removed from the reef on Monday, March 15th, after it was first broken up in three pieces. The barge was bearing no identification marks therefore authorities are having trouble pinpointing who it belongs to. According to Earl Valerio of the Port Authority the barge does not belong to any of the local companies. It is their estimation that it probably broke loose from a tug boat somewhere in the open Caribbean seas and drifted into our waters. The barge got lodged on the reef eight miles north of San Pedro Town (exact coordinates 18.01 degrees, 33.8 mins North, 87.50 degrees, 26.4 mins West) near Blue Reef Resort.
Port Authority, Coast Guard and the Department of the Environment were on the scene last Friday morning investigating the incident. They believe that the barge landed the previous night and the authorities were on the scene assessing the incident. Port Commissioner John Flowers explained that they utilized the weather that the Caye was experiencing since the “seas were flat.” The barge was broken down in three sections each 10 feet by 23 feet before being removed in order to minimize the damage caused on the reef.
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