Two Missing After Barge Smashes Into Houseboat

By Carol Kennedy

Published on August 29, 2005

The houseboat carried four passengers who were all below deck attempting to restore power to the boat when the barge hit them. One lone survivor of the accident apparently climbed out of the portside window and onto the front of the barge to tell the crew that they had run over the houseboat. The crew of the barge said they saw nothing and were unaware of the accident until the survivor alerted them. The barge finally stopped after pushing the wreckage of the houseboat a half-mile.

One body was recovered in the wreckage and two remain missing. Police would not release the names of the passengers on the houseboat, as family members had not yet been notified.

The crew of the barge were questioned and given alcohol tests. The Coast Guard will use a crane to pull the wreckage out of the water and onto a flat bed for further investigation.

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