Barge Sideswipes Tugboat in Cape Cod Canal

The Coast Guard and other responders came to the aid of a New York bound barge late Tuesday night.

The 410-foot barge Alexander was being towed through the Cape Cod Canal by the 112-foot tugboat Doris Moran when the tug lost power before midnight. The barge continued to drift forward, sideswiping the tug.

Damage to the barge caused the vessel to take on water, with on-board pumps maintaining a five-foot water level.

The tug was able to tow the barge into Buzzards Bay, and anchor two miles east of West Island until the Coast Guard, New Bedford Fire Department, MEMA, DEP, and NOAA crews arrived.

The incident is under investigation.