Page 5 - ATODAY
P. 5
U.S. NEWS A5
Monday 14 March 2016
Body of 2nd crew member found
in Hudson River tugboat crash
The Associated Press according to Cuomo, “We Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, left, uses a diagram
NEW YORK (AP) — The body are too close. We have to
of a second tugboat crew move left.” But it apparent- to explain the circumstances of a fatal collision on the water in
member who went miss- ly was too late, the gover-
ing after the boat crashed nor said. Tarrytown, N.Y., Saturday, March 12, 2016. A tugboat crashed
into a barge on the Hudson Authorities believed the
River north of New York City sunken tug is wedged di- into a barge on the Hudson River north of New York City early
has been pulled from the rectly underneath the
river, authorities said Sun- barge it struck at the mid- Saturday killing at least one crew member and leaving two still
day. span of the bridge.
The 90-foot tugboat named Cuomo said he had been missing. Associated Press
Specialist hit a barge early “hoping for a miracle” that
Saturday morning near the men would be found
where the new Tappan alive.
Zee Bridge, which con- Instead, the governor said
nects two counties north Sunday that he spent some
of New York City, is being time with the Conklin fam-
built. The tugboat sank, ily, “which is obviously still in
spilling about 5,000 gallons shock.”
of fuel into the water. Cuomo said in a statement
The body has been identi- that 21 workers were on the
fied as Timothy Conklin, 29, bridge construction barge
of Westbury, Long Island, that was hit, but none was
New York. His body was injured. He added the con-
brought back to shore af- struction barge was illumi-
ter divers found him inside nated at the time of the
the tugboat around 11 pre-dawn collision.
a.m. Sunday. The accident occurred
The third crew member near the center of the ex-
aboard the tugboat when isting Tappan Zee Bridge,
it crashed has been iden- and the Specialist sank
tified as Harry Hernandez, in about 40 feet of water
56, of Staten Island, New within minutes, authorities
York. He remains missing. said. The water tempera-
The body of Paul Amon, 62, ture in the area was about
of Bayville, New Jersey, was 40 degrees, according to
pulled from the water Satur- the U.S. Geological Survey.
day. Divers were expected Cuomo said a team was
to resume the search later on site to contain the leak-
Sunday, said Westchester ing diesel fuel and he did
County police spokesman not expect any long-term
Kieran O’Leary. The tug- damage as a result of the
boat was damaged to the spill.
point that a full search was James Mercante, an attor-
not possible, he added. ney for the owner of Spe-
In addition, visibility in the cialist, said the crew was
water was only about 6 licensed, competent and
inches, Gov. Andrew Cuo- experienced personnel. He
mo said on Sunday. “Much called the crash “a shock-
of the diving operation is ing, horrific marine trag-
actually done by feel,” he edy.” A spokeswoman for
said. Authorities said three Tappan Zee Constructors,
tugboats were pushing a a consortium of companies
barge from Albany to Jer- building the new bridge,
sey City, New Jersey, when said the company is coop-
one of the three — situ- erating in the investigation.
ated on the right side as it The crash occurred near
headed south — hit a sta- the scene of a 2013 boat
tionary barge that was part crash that killed a bride-to-
of the Tappan Zee Bridge be and her fiancé’s best
construction project. A man.
tugboat on the left side The new bridge is to re-
of the barge that was be- place an adjacent aging
ing pushed, as well as one span that now connects
that was pushing the barge Westchester and Rockland
from the rear, were not in- counties. Construction on
volved in the accident. the $3.9 billion project be-
But there were reports of gan in October 2013 and is
radio transmissions from the expected to be complet-
tug that crashed saying, ed by 2018.
