Salvage Crews Refloat and Tow Cargo Ship in St. Thomas

Salvage crews have successfully refloated and towed the Bonnie G cargo ship to the Crown Bay Sandfill dock in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The vessel owners and salvors will now coordinate further operations to remove the damaged cargo, remaining oil, and conduct salvage or repair operations for the ship.

Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer Flowers, the Coast Guard’s incident commander for the refloating operation, praised Coast Guard, federal, and local response agency crews, as well as the National Response Corp., Playland Marine, and DonJon-SMIT, for their efforts in the successful operation.

“This was a very complex incident, as the Bonnie G response endured twenty-six days with the vessel aground and two passing storms in the peak of hurricane season. We are appreciative of the cooperative efforts to protect the pristine waters of the U.S. Virgin Islands by safely removing this pollution threat and preventing major environmental impacts,” said Flowers.

Coast Guard Boat Forces Detachment St. Thomas personnel rescued 12 people who had abandoned the Bonnie G after it ran aground in heavy weather on October 4, 2023, approximately half a mile south of the Cyril King Airport in St. Thomas.

The roll-on/roll-off cargo ship was reported to have over 13,000 gallons of diesel and 700 gallons of lube oil onboard, along with six cars, a truck, a trailer, and two pallets of cargo. To protect the environment, Coast Guard and USVI responders worked with Playland Marine pollution removal crews to remove the diesel fuel and lube oil from the vessel, as well as batteries and other hazardous materials, prior to the refloating refloating.

DonJon-SMIT presented a detailed plan to the Coast Guard for the safe refloating of the wreck that prioritized the protection of the vessel, responders, public, and marine environment.

Salvors prepared equipment and conducted necessary preparations to refloat the Bonnie G over the weekend, including pressure testing vessel tanks and pumping air to prevent water from entering compartments. Salvors also prepared equipment for towing.

The refloating operation involved two tugboats, the Sentry and the Limetree Bay. Salvors pressurized five compartments of the vessel and removed water from the engine room and steering gear compartments to prevent oil spills. After completing ballasting and air pressurization, tugboats successfully pulled the vessel free and towed it to a safe harbor. The Coast Guard established a moving safety zone to ensure safety and security during the movement.

The Coast Guard collaborated with local government partners and experts to develop a pollution mitigation and removal plan for the grounded cargo vessel. The National Response Corp. and DonJon-SMIT were contracted for oil spill removal and salvage operations, respectively.

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