Coast Guard closes Maumee River, halts shipping traffic - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Coast Guard closes Maumee River, halts shipping traffic

The US Coast Guard Toledo Station shut down a portion of the Maumee River on Wednesday because of the high tension line that ended up in the Maumee River.

That brought shipping traffic to a halt for the port.

The Coast Guard established a safety zone closing a half mile portion of the Maumee River to any boat traffic.  That's a quarter mile north and south of the CSX Railroad Bridge.

"It's a big deal when you shut down any major port in the United States," says Executive Petty Officer Stephen Loudermilk with the US Coast Guard Toledo Station.

The Coast Guard shut down the Maumee River to shipping after a high tension line fell in the water.

"No, you don't see it very often. In 14 years, I've never dealt with a downed wire in the water," says Loudermilk.

Coast Guard crews joined by several commercial salvage vessels blocked boats from getting through.

Two boats spent the day docked because they were stuck, unable to navigate out from the southern side. 

One is a Canadian laker and the other is a tug-and-barge combination.

Coast Guard officials said the river would reopen when Toledo Edison safely removed the line.

"We worry any ship that comes in or boat comes and hits that it could damage their propellers or cause damage to their hull and ultimately take on water or capsize their boat," says Loudermilk.

The safety precautions had consequences.

 "It really affects the commerce. It doesn't just affect the ships, it affects the dock workers, they're going to have to adjust their times ... so it trickles down and affects a lot of people," says Loudermilk.