Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Jonathan-Erickson

On April 24, 2022, a significant incident unfolded on the Mississippi River near Savanna, Illinois, when multiple barges broke free from their tow, the US American tug 'Jonathan Erickson' (IMO: 8836601), measuring 651 gross tons. At approximately 10:48 a.m., the Coast Guard alerted the Savanna Fire Department (SFD) that several barges were adrift, headed south toward the Savanna-Sabula bridge. Reports indicated that three crew members were onboard one of these drifting barges. Promptly responding, the SFD dispatched two fire boats, and firefighters successfully rescued the three deckhands within a short time. By the time SFD arrived at the scene, a six-barge tow section, alongside a two-barge section and a single barge, had already passed the bridge. However, the Savanna Police Department notified the fire crew that one of the single barges had collided with the bridge and was taking on water. A tug from Sabula was called in to regain control over the six-barge and two-barge sections, which were now situated on the Iowa side. Meanwhile, the distressed single barge eventually ran aground on the Illinois side, out of the navigation channel. As the 'Jonathan Erickson' worked to gather barges still upstream and reform the tow, the allision prompted an immediate response from the Illinois Department of Transportation, the SFD, Savanna Police, and Iowa law enforcement, leading to a temporary shutdown of the bridge for safety inspections. Thankfully, the bridge was cleared for reopening just after 2 p.m.