On March 15, 2024, about 1355 local time, the towing vessel Cocodrie was pushing an empty tank barge, maneuvering away from a Valero St. Charles Refinery dock at mile 124.7 on the Lower Mississippi River, near Norco, Louisiana, when it struck a walkway for another nearby dock. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. Damage to the vessel and the dock was estimated at $663,000.
We determined that the probable cause of the contact of the towing vessel Cocodrie with the Valero St. Charles Refinery dock no. 6 walkway was the sudden onset of strong beam winds, which increased the difficulty of the undocking maneuver with an empty barge.
