Reports reached The San Pedro Sun office about the possible capsizing of a barge near the St. George’s Caye Area. Investigations by The Sun revealed that there was indeed a barge that had capsized. The Barge was labeled Craig-T and bore the registration numbers SPR-0273. The barge was reported to be carrying cargo, sand and nineteen telephone poles belonging to Island Construction which is owned by Jim Pruitt.
According to reports coming out of the Belize Port Authority (BPS), the Authority received news on Friday May 14th that a barge had capsized. A team was deployed and findings were reviewed. Results are that the barge was reportedly carrying too much weight and the undesirable weather conditions caused the barge to tilt and capsize. The barge was submerged on its port side, approximately two nautical miles north-west of Port of Stuck.
Two pumps were used to extract the water and two barges; the NV Koobel and Big Bertha were used to render assistance. The barge was refloated on Sat. May 15th and is presently at Vista Del Mar.
The barge operators presented a valid Seaworthiness Certificate and the captain presented a valid Captain Master License issued from the BPA. Investigations into the incident resulted in charges being levied on the Master of the Barge for “Overloading and un-safety” as per the Maritime Act and Port Authority laws and regulations.
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