The 265-foot fuel barge Defiant sits aground near the entrance to San Juan Harbor after grounding Monday while being towed inbound, with no pollution reported.
Coast Guard Sector San Juan is responding alongside local emergency agencies after a fuel barge ran aground Monday near the entrance to San Juan Harbor, close to San Felipe del Morro Castle.
The 265-foot barge Defiant was being towed inbound from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, when it grounded just outside the harbor entrance near Old San Juan. The barge came to rest off the historic 16th-century fortress that guards the approach to San Juan Bay.
The Coast Guard reported no injuries or missing crew members, and officials say there are no signs of pollution at this time. Marine units remain on scene monitoring the barge and surrounding waters.
Despite the grounding, the Port of San Juan remains open to vessel traffic. The barge is not obstructing the navigable channel, according to the Coast Guard, which has activated an Incident Management Team to coordinate the response.
Coast Guard watchstanders are also broadcasting a Safety Marine Information Broadcast to alert nearby vessel traffic. The cause of the grounding is under investigation.
“We urge people to stay away from the area to allow response agencies to safely access and work at the site,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.
Authorities have not yet said when salvage operations may begin or how long the barge is expected to remain aground.
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