Salvage Crews Refloat Sunken Tug at Vigor’s Everett, WA Yard [UPDATED W/ DAMAGE PHOTO]

Salvage crews have successfully refloated the tug Invader over a week after it became partially submerged after the drydock housing it sank at Vigor’s Everett, WA yard.

Only light sheens of oil have been observed in the immediate area surrounding the tug and drydock and the estimated 60,000 gallons of diesel fuel remaining sealed onboard is expected to be removed this week.  The USCG says that the relocated tug and submerged drydock are still surrounded by multiple layers of containment boom.

The day-long effort to right the tug was led by West Coast Global Diving & Salvage, working on behalf of Vigor Marine, and was supervised by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Washington Dept. of Ecology to ensure only minimal environmental damage from the incident.

According to the Coast Guard statement following the incident, the 200-foot section of dry dock, with the tug in tow, began slowly sinking Saturday, March 17, and stopped only after making contact with the sea floor at approximately 12 p.m. Sunday.

The 140-foot Invader is part of Crowley’s Invader-class, a series of powerful, sleek and highly-praised tugs built between 1974 and 1977.