DONJON-SMIT RESPONDS TO GROUNDED TANKER ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER

News Release DONJON-SMIT, LLC June 20, 2011

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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE          
      
                       
Contact:  Debra Colbert,
 June 20,
2011    
           
           
        
              
        301/332-0813;
<A
href="redir.aspx?C=5662deef6e8949339cc99afb26386517&URL=mailto%3adaccomm%40aol.com">daccomm@aol.com</A>
 
Alexandria, VA – On June 13, 2011,
Donjon-SMIT, LLC, was notified that a client vessel was aground in the
Mississippi River just above Cubit’s Gap, about 10 miles below Venice,
Louisiana.   Traffic on the Mississippi was not impeded by the
grounded vessel.  Donjon-SMIT, an OPA-90 salvage and marine firefighting
provider, was placed on standby pending the results of efforts to refloat the
vessel with tugs.  Approximately midday on June 14, the vessel’s salvage
response plan was activated, and Donjon-SMIT mobilized its personnel and assets
to refloat the vessel.
 
Within a few hours of the activation of the
salvage plan, one of Donjon-SMIT’s Rapid Response Assessors was on scene to
conduct the initial onsite salvage assessment.  Donjon-SMIT’s salvage team
arrived shortly after, and efforts began to conduct a damaged stability
assessment and to utilize tugs to refloat the vessel.  

 
“The vessel was broadside into the current,
so there was a very real concern that the situation could worsen quickly,” said
Paul Hankins, President of Donjon-SMIT.  “We were also worried about the
rapid silting around the vessel.”   
 
Overnight on June 14 and into the morning of
June 15, four and eventually five tugs were used to scour the buildup of silt
around the vessel and to attempt to refloat and maneuver her back into the
channel.   While these efforts were ongoing, preparations were being
made on a lightering plan should the tug efforts prove to be
unsuccessful.
  
The vessel was refloated and began making
significant headway and was eventually maneuvered back into the channel. 
The vessel was successfully anchored at South West Pass Fairway anchorage. 

 
Donjon-SMIT conducted a hull survey of the
vessel on the 16th while the vessel was at anchor.  Some damage
was found on the bilge keel of the vessel, but her hull was intact and she was
cleared by the U.S. Coast Guard to continue her voyage. 

 
For more information, visit <A
title=http://www.donjon-smit.com/
href="redir.aspx?C=5662deef6e8949339cc99afb26386517&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.donjon-smit.com%2f"
target=_blank>www.donjon-smit.com</A>, or e-mail <A title=mailto:info@donjon-smit.com
href="redir.aspx?C=5662deef6e8949339cc99afb26386517&URL=mailto%3ainfo%40donjon-smit.com">info@donjon-smit.com</A>.  
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