Floating crane broke loose and struck spots along Ruston Way Waterfront
A floating crane broke loose during Monday night’s windstorm and struck several spots along the Ruston Way waterfront, officials said.
Ruston Way between the 2300 block and the 4900 block closed shortly before midnight as officials took tug boats out to assess the situation.
The first call came in to the Tacoma Police Department from an eyewitness who saw the crane from an apartment window shortly before 11 p.m.
The Coast Guard was advised of the situation around 11:15 p.m. after officers confirmed a crane was loose and floating toward Point Ruston, drifting up against the shore, according to Wendy Haddow, Tacoma police department spokeswoman.
The barge containing the crane struck pilings as it went along out of control, until it made impact with Katie Downs Waterfront Tavern.
The Port of Tacoma told The News Tribune on Tuesday morning that the crane was one of the shipping cranes recently relocated from the Port of Seattle. The cranes are owned by SSA Terminals.
According to a statement via email from Akiko Oda, communications manager with the Northwest Seaport Alliance: “SSA Terminals retained an experienced barge company to relocate two of their cranes from Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle to West Sitcum Terminal at the Port of Tacoma.
“Around 10 p.m. Monday, high winds snapped the lines that secured the barge carrying one of the container cranes. As a result, the barge drifted toward the Ruston Way waterfront. The barge came in contact with Katie Downs Waterfront Tavern.”
Damages were being assessed Tuesday.
Ruston Way was reopened around 1:30 a.m.
The barge was returned to West Sitcum Terminal around 3 a.m.
The port said it was not aware of any injuries, and believes the crane did not sustain any damages.
On Wednesday, Nancy Johnson, public information officer for Metro Parks Tacoma, told The News Tribune via email that staff was still “in the process of ascertaining the extent of damages,” of park property “and determining what may have been crane vs. weather related.”
“What I know at this time is that the floating dock at Old Town dock incurred damages and it’s my understanding that staff removed it,” on Tuesday, she added.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 6:49 AM.
