Tug warned before collision that caused spill

NEW ORLEANS – The pilot of a massive tanker involved in a collision on the Mississippi River repeatedly warns a tugboat pushing a barge to get out of the way, but no one on the smaller boat responds, according to radio transmissions released Saturday by the Coast Guard.

The July 23 wreck caused thousands of gallons of fuel to spill and shut down part of the nation’s busiest inland waterway for several days. The newly released audio recordings and radar from that day show the tugboat, Mel Oliver, crossing the river in front of the tanker, Tintamara.

The Coast Guard found that the person operating the Mel Oliver boat had an apprentice mate’s license, but no one on the vessel was properly documented to guide it. The Coast Guard said the captain of the tug was not aboard at the time of the collision.

There were no mechanical or electrical problems with the massive Tintamara, or questions about the pilot’s competency, said Coast Guard, which would not comment further on the findings of the preliminary investigation.