What Crew Members Say About African-Buzzard

**Title: Mississippi River Collision: 'African Buzzard' and 'Pac Dubhe' Accident Overview** On March 23, 2026, a significant maritime incident unfolded on the Mississippi River at mile marker 124.5, near Norco, involving the cargo vessel m/v 'Pac Dubhe' (IMO: 9304021) and the tug 'African Buzzard'. The 'African Buzzard', which was navigating from Plaquemines Parish Port toward New Orleans, collided with the 'Pac Dubhe', a vessel traveling from Baton Rouge to Cristobal, at approximately 3:30 p.m. During the collision, the anchor of the 'African Buzzard' became lodged in the bow of the 'Pac Dubhe', resulting in both ships being stuck together in coordinates 29° 58' N, 090° 24' W. The impact caused extensive damage to the 'Pac Dubhe's' port side bow. Following the incident, the 'African Buzzard' drifted out of the navigation channel and ultimately ran aground. In response to the situation, authorities have established speed restrictions in the vicinity of mile marker 124, along with a moving safety zone extending to Bonnet Carre at mile marker 128, ensuring the safety of salvage operations and vessels in transit. As salvage efforts began, both vessels' operators conducted thorough evaluations to formulate recovery plans to be submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard, with tugs positioned nearby for assistance. By March 26, multiple support vessels were at the scene, including the 'Mr. Ruben' (MMSI: 367753210), 'Beverly B.' (MMSI: 9585223), 'A. Thomas Higgins' (IMO: 9907495), and 'Billy G.' (MMSI: 368427360). Auxiliary vessels like the 'Charles L. Strait' (MMSI: 367535250), 'St. Therese' (MMSI: 367311510), 'Martha Lynn' (IMO: 8836637), 'Endeavor' (MMSI: 368106370), and 'Tom Rogers' (MMSI: 367714460) were also present in the area. The situation progressed as the 'African Buzzard' was successfully berthed in New Orleans around 11 p.m. UTC on March 26. Concurrently, the 'Pac Dubhe' remained stationary at position 29° 60' N, 090° 26' W as of March 27. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported among the crews of either vessel, no environmental impact or pollution observed, and the Mississippi River continued to facilitate vessel traffic. In light of the incident, the U.S. Coast Guard, in cooperation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), has initiated a joint investigation to ascertain the causes leading to this collision, focusing on ensuring maritime safety in the area. For more detailed information and updates, visit [The Week's article on the collision](https://www.theweek.in/news/maritime/2026/03/26/us-coast-guard-responds-after-freighter-bulk-carrier-collision-in-mississippi-river-all-you-need-to-know.html) or engage with community discussions on platforms like [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/NewOrleans/comments/1s2kfpf/collision_yesterday_on_the_river_close_to_norco/).