Barge Sinks In Chicago River
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A barge described as the length of a football field and as wide as a city street sank in the Chicago River on Friday.
The construction barge, located near Wacker and Lake, was taking on water and was almost fully submerged at of 1 p.m. Witnesses say they heard a loud boom before the vessel went down.
There were no reported injuries, and the U.S. Coast Guard said it would close a portion of the river until Saturday morning so that crews could begin recovering the vessel.
The barge had been filled with clay as part of construction in the area. Clark Construction officials say they are investigating.
The Coast Guard says the company has hired people to remove the clay from inside the barge. After that, it will be light enough for crews to push it to the side of the river.