MCMECHEN, WV (WTRF) — Pusher boat operators and the Coast Guard chased around 40 barges that broke loose… and floated by themselves down the Ohio River.
The accident took place sometime Saturday night, during an ice and snow storm hitting southeast Ohio and the northern panhandle of West Virginia.
Police report about 40 barges slipped their moorings and were “free floating” between McMechen and Moundsville.
Some had pushed their way clear up to steps at the bank.
Officers shut down the Ohio River bridge at Moundsville for a short time Saturday morning while working to wrangle the barges.