Recovery Of Sunken Tugboat Underway

A tugboat sank this week about two nautical miles north of Cape Henlopen State Park, but hopes are that the Miss Aida can be recovered.

The vessel was being towed by the tugboat Dory Monday afternoon when the Dory’s crew reported a wave struck and broke the windshield of the Miss Aida, causing it to sink. The radio transmission came in to the Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Command Center.

Members of the Lewes Volunteer Fire Department, DNREC Natural Resources Police and the University of Delaware used side-scan sonar to locate the sunken tug. The Coast Guard is monitoring the company’s salvage operations, which were stalled by this week’s stormy conditions.

“The cooperation between maritime partners was key to the successful locating of the Miss Aida,” Cmdr. Brett Workman, Chief of Response at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay, said. “Once the location of the vessel was determined, we could focus on overseeing the company’s salvage and recovery efforts.”