The integrated tug and barge "Hook Point-Alaganik" has been refloated and towed to Cordova by Alaska Marine Response LLC where it was then lifted and is now dry-docked in shoreside storage as of Thursday.

“With temporary repairs in place, Alaska Marine Response LLC safely refloated the vessel at the site of the grounding,” said Lt. Jason Smilie, prevention department head, Marine Safety Unit Valdez. “Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Valdez and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation gave final approval late Wednesday to tow the tug and barge into port.”

The “Hook Point-Alaganik” grounded with two crew aboard 60 miles southeast of Cordova on July 24th during the Japanese tsunami debris cleanup taking place there. It ran into trouble at that time after encountering heavy seas, and strong currents during an especially high tide.

It crashed into floating river ice from the Seal River. The impact of the ice broke the mechanical system that kept the two vessels together. A short time later the tug and barge was washed ashore onto the beach.

Alaska Marine Response LLC responded to the scene of the incident immediately and unloaded response equipment and began removing fuel from the vessel. The “Hook Point-Alaganik” had 1,740 gallons of diesel fuel, 225 gallons of hydraulic and miscellaneous fluids aboard when she grounded. By that Friday, all of that fuel and fluids had been removed from the vessel. The recovered fluids were temporarily stored above the high water mark on the beach.

After the fuel removal, the structural integrity of the vessel was assessed and development of a salvage plan was initiated. All parties involved understood then that because of the remote location of the grounding, that the retrieval efforts could take weeks to carry out.

The vessel’s journey from the area of Seal River was completed on Thursday when it was lifted out of the water in Cordova.