Hong Kong-Flagged Cargo Ship, ROSCO PALM, Grounds in the Columbia River

The 751-foot cargo vessel reportedly ran aground near Skamokawa, Washington at 7:49 p.m. on Friday evening. It then refloated, traveled a few miles upstream and grounded again while at anchor.

The Coast Guard conducted an overflight of the grounded motor vessel Friday night, and will arrange another as weather conditions permit.

As of 7:40 a.m. on Saturday, the vessel had refloated with the tide, leaving no indication of discharged pollution.

Lt. Cmdr. Karen Denny reported, “we are fully engaged with our port partners to ensure we are responding to this event with the appropriate resources needed to minimize potential negative impacts to both natural resources and commerce.” The Coast Guard crew, their partners and local response teams will be continuously monitoring the situation.

A Columbia River Pilot is aboard the ROSCO PALM and tugs are assisting the vessel upstream to verify that the hull and propulsion system have not been compromised.

The cause of the grounding is unknown and will soon be investigated.