A 74-year-old, 80-foot former Army tugboat sank three miles south of Kennebunk, Maine, after it collided with the 40-foot tug that was towing it to Portland. No one was on board the aging tug, the Capt Mackintire, at the time.
According to the Bangor Daily News, the Capt Mackintire (picture above) was being towed by the 40-foot Helen Louise, with two crew on board. At 2 a.m. the crew of Helen Louise sent a distress call to the Coast Guard, saying they had collided with the Capt Mackintire in 12-knot winds and 6-foot seas.
The Coast Guard Cutter Reef Shark responded and started towing Capt Mackintire to Portland, but the tugboat started taking on water and sinking, and the Coast Guard cut the towline. The Capt Mackintire sank in about 160 feet of water. Another Coast Guard vessel escorted the Helen Louise to Portsmouth, NH.
The Coast Guard and state and local agencies are working to assess and contain any pollution from the sunken tug.
