Patagon-Viii

Strong winds and heavy rain caused the feed barge "Australis XXII" belonging to Australis Seafoods to sink on May 3, 2017, in the Errázuriz Channel in the Aysén region. The eight workers from the barge were evacuated unhurt within few hours by the "Patagon VIII", as wind speeds ranged between 30 and 40 knots per hour. The barge, which was worth around US $750,000, contained feed systems, generators, a control room and living quarters. There were concerns how Australis will control the potential leakage of oil and diesel from the sunken barge. Another feed barge in the area reportedly faced an emergency due to water entering through a damaged area during the storm. The situation was controlled with the aid of an emergency pump.