Barge Flipped, Skipper Escaped Injury
Coastguard Queenstown was called by Police to assist after an 18-tonne barge flipped while transporting fertiliser. The incident took place at 2.30pm on 4th November and Coastguard professional volunteers assisted with towing the barge back to Cecil Peek Station. A tractor is at the bottom of Lake Wakatipu however the skipper, Philip Rive, swam out of his submerged cabin and escaped injury.
Queenstown Airport Rescue provided the Queenstown Council with pollution control assistance and divers checked if there was any fuel leaking from the barge before attempts to right the vessel were made.
The incident had been referred to Maritime New Zealand. Mr Rive, who manages Cecil Peak Station, could not be reached for comment yesterday. But a family member said the barge was transporting fertiliser at the time.
“We’re not sure why it happened, really,” she said. “There’s been bigger loads and rougher weather.” The tractor was probably not recoverable from the lakebed, but that was not what was important, she said. “I’m just glad no-one was hurt.”
