Liberian cargo ship briefly aground in Columbia River off Longview

Published 12:25 pm Saturday, March 28, 2015

LONGVIEW — The Coast Guard says a Liberian cargo ship briefly ran aground in the Columbia River off Longview, but later regained power and made its way to a berth in the southwest Washington city.

The Daily News of Longview reported there was no apparent damage to the ship or the river. The Coast Guard says no one aboard the 21-member crew was hurt early Friday.

The 600-foot Turquoise Ocean lost power as it was headed downstream from the Port of Longview. The Coast Guard says it tried to anchor but went aground in soft sand.

The vessel was carrying potash, which is used primarily as an agricultural fertilizer.

Coast Guard spokesman Jonathan Klingenberg says the hull will be inspected before the ship can sail again, and the crew will have to prove it can sail safely.