Salvage Tug Leaves For Attempt To Pull Freighter Off Beach

With a break in the weather, a salvage tug was able to leave Astoria Sunday and head south to attempt to pull a grounded freighter off the beach.

It will take the 200-foot Salvage Chief, which left about noon, at least a day to get to Coos Bay. Once it arrives, salvage crews say they’re confident the freighter longer than two football fields can be refloated.

“We have no fear. We’ll get it out of here,” said Bill Milwee, a Portland-based contractor who’s helping to develop a salvage plan for the Japanese-built and owned cargo ship.

The New Carissa was standing off the Port of Coos Bay to wait out the bad weather last Wednesday when the waves and wind shoved it aground Thursday. The ship carries only fuel and ballast because it was riding empty to pick up a load of wood chips to take to Japan.

The 23 Filipino crew members of the New Carissa, who were safely evacuated from the ship Friday, are standing by to reboard the ship when salvage crews are ready to refloat it.