Mississippi River mishaps

BARGE RELATED ACCIDENTS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES:

AUG. 17, 2001

Towboats rounded up 25 barges that broke loose from a southbound tow near Cape Girardeau. The barges threatened the Mississippi River bridge but never struck it.DEC. 27, 2000

At 7:30 a.m., five coal barges broke loose north of Cape Girardeau when cables holding the barges snapped. Police closed the Mississippi River bridge for 10 to 15 minutes out of concern that the barges might hit the bridge supports. Tows rounded up the barges before any could hit the bridge.

At 2 p.m., five covered barges broke free when the towboat Crimson Gem ran aground north of Cape Girardeau. The barges were corralled about half a mile north of the bridge.APRIL 7, 1998

A 20-barge tow smacked a Thebes, Ill., railroad bridge pier, sinking three barges and damaging three others. The accident briefly closed a five-mile stretch of the river downstream from Thebes. High water was blamed for the accident.JAN. 20, 1997

One of five barges that broke loose from a towboat struck the Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau. The other four barges floated under the bridge before being rounded up. The bridge pillar wasn't damaged.JUNE 8, 1996

A tow pushing 21 barges upstream bumped a Mississippi River bridge pier at Cairo, Ill., with the lead barge. The barge suffered minor damage.MAY 18, 1996

A construction towboat glanced off the Mississippi River bridge pier on the Illinois side of the navigational channel. No damage was done to the pier.MARCH 7, 1993

A coal-filled barge sank after colliding with the Thebes railroad bridge piling. The barge was part of a 24-barge tow.MARCH 6, 1993

A southbound tow with 29 barges hit a piling on the Thebes bridge.DEC. 19, 1992

A 25-barge tow collided with a pier of the Thebes railroad bridge, temporarily closing the river to traffic.JULY 21, 1989

A barge tow collided with two stationary barges in the Mississippi River, five miles south of Cape Girardeau.JULY 16, 1989

A small harbor towboat sank near Neely's Landing.FEB. 15, 1988

The towboat W.S. Rhea sank about 35 miles upstream from Cape Girardeau.JAN. 12, 1986

A coal barge sank about 10 miles north of Cairo after the towboat Frank Rand ran aground and several barges broke loose.DEC. 17, 1985

A barge struck the Thebes railroad bridge, spilling crude oil into the river.JULY 19, 1984

The towboat Helen Tully sank in the main river channel after colliding in fog with the towboat Maba Kelce, moving several barges, near the Thebes railroad bridge. The accident killed two crewmen aboard the Helen Tully.NOV. 13, 1982

The towboat Dorothy sank and two crew members drowned at Gray's Point during a docking maneuver with another towboat.