Tugboat, barge hit small boat on foggy Columbia

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Officials say a tugboat and barge hit a smaller vessel on the Columbia River, tossing the smaller boat’s occupants into the water.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports no injuries were reported in the Wednesday morning collision.

U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Officer Amanda Norcross says the incident happened near downriver of Longview, Washington, near Willow Gove Park.

Norcross says the tugboat and barge reportedly hit the 20-foot pleasure craft and caused the smaller vessel to capsize.

She says there was zero visibility at the time because of thick fog.

Norcross says someone picked up the two people who had been fishing from the smaller boat and took them to shore.

Coast Guard investigators from Portland are looking into what happened and whether any enforcement action needs to be taken, she said.

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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com