Rescued barge adrift off B.C. coast to be towed to Alaska, First Nation relieved
BELLA BELLA, B.C. — A British Columbia First Nation is breathing a sigh of relief as a barge carrying millions of litres of fuel was removed from its harbour on the central coast.
The barge broke away from a U.S.-registered tugboat, the Jake Shearer, southwest of Bella Bella last Sunday.
Heiltsuk Chief Councillor Marilyn Slett says it’s “terrifying” to consider the damage that could have been caused if a spill occurred.
The barge was carrying 12.5 million litres of diesel and gasoline, which Slett says is four times the volume initially estimated.