An American cargo barge that was stuck on a reef off of Quadra Island for nearly a week has now been freed.
The Nana Provider ran aground on Nov. 9 when it was being pulled north to Alaska by the tugboat Polar King. That vessel was one of five tugs that could be seen in and around the barge as it was being re-floated off the reef early Friday morning.
The flotilla, which also included three Canadian Coast Guard vessels escorted the Nana Provider to a barge facility north of Campbell River where it will undergo inspection and repairs.
Transport Canada confirmed earlier that the hull of the barge was compromised as a result of its impact with the reef.
A spokesperson for the coast guard says crew members were monitoring to ensure there were no environmental issues during the move and also were there to keep other vessels clear from the area.
Several people watched the barge being floated away, including Dorman Joseph, who tells CTV News he has been a mariner all his life.
Joseph believes Campbell River got lucky with this incident.
"To see something like this, that can do a lot of damage to our coast and if that was a tanker, we would have had a lot of problems here. We would have probably wiped this whole area right out," Joseph said.
The Nana Provider, owned by Alaska Marine Lines, is listed as being 420 feet long and 100 feet wide. It is now anchored at a facility north of Campbell River.
Reached Friday, a representative of Lynden Incorporated, the parent company of Alaska Marine Lines, declined to comment and referred questions to the Canadian Coast Guard.
Earlier in the week, a spokesperson for Transport Canada told CTV News the barge would be inspected by one of their employees once it was safety anchored.
