ST. LOUIS – A yacht that got trapped on the Mississippi River last week has since been moved and the damage inspected.
It took about 13 hours to remove the yacht from a chevron in the Mississippi River. It got stuck just south of the McKinley Bridge.
Budrovich Marine, a marine construction company, lifted the boat off the chevron and is storing the vessel at its facility.
“We mobilized our tug and a 300-ton crane,” Mindy Brundick, vice president of Budrovich Marine, said. “Getting the boat hoisted and then safely onto a barge, and back here to our facility involved quite a few people.”
Brundick said divers from Three Rivers Diving helped with getting the rigging on, and Port Charles was also involved.
The challenge beyond lifting the boat was the powerlines immediately overhead.
“Thanks to the swift and cooperative spirit of Ameren, they were able to get those lines shut down,” said Brundick. “Once the lines were de-energized, we also had to get very close to them with our crane. And we made sure that we didn’t tangle the lines or damage anything.”
The river is low now, so the chevron can be seen from Bommarito Automotive Group SkyFOX.
The river is 19-feet below flood stage. Precipitation this month is almost three inches below normal.
The boat will remain at Budrovich Marine for the time being. The hull was damaged as a result of the crash.
The boat will have to be inspected, and the owner can then decide if he wants to repair the vessel or if it’s a total loss.