A 35,000-ton ship laden with wheat ran aground in the Columbia River hours after leaving the Port of Vancouver on Thursday afternoon and began taking on water. It was safely escorted by tugs to the Port of Longview Friday morning, where it was due to be examined and repaired.
The vessel, the KM London, is a 656-foot bulk carrier that was drawing 42 feet of water when it ran aground near Crims Island, a few miles downriver from Longview near the hamlet of Stella.
A pilot was aboard the ship and notified the Coast Guard of the grounding at 8:10 p.m. After it was reported, the Coast Guard sent an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and a 29-foot response boat to check for oil leaking into the river, but none was spotted. No injuries were reported.
The vessel was refloated on Friday morning’s high tide with the help of three tugs, which helped it to the Port of Longview. At 11 a.m. Friday it was moored just upstream of the Lewis & Clark Bridge.
