On Thursday, April 9, the historic Sistersville Ferry suffered a significant accident, resulting in the sinking of the ferry’s tug while the car barge remained afloat. Thankfully, no injuries were reported during the incident.

According to Sistersville Mayor Bill Rice, the trouble began days prior when the ferry board president alerted the city that the ferry was taking on water. “A few days ago, I received a call from the ferry board president that the ferry was taking on some water,” Mayor Rice explained. Efforts to remove the water were complicated because the city’s vacuum truck was undergoing repairs in Parkersburg. Initial plans to pump out the water directly from the ferry were unsuccessful, leading the team to enact a secondary plan: transferring the water into a containment tank for proper disposal at the local sewer plant.

The operation was hindered by the steep incline of the ferry apron, which prevented the pumps from functioning effectively. Precision Incorporated was brought in with a large forklift to assist, but the exact source of the flooding remained unclear. Mayor Rice noted that the ferry’s high position on the bank during recent floods, combined with rocky conditions, may have contributed to structural damage. Once the tug was placed in the water, it began flooding rapidly and sank.

Emergency coordination was swift. Both Delegate Bill Bell and WV Senator Charlie Clements’ offices offered assistance, while Tom Cooper, Director of Tyler County Office of Emergency Management, supplied containment booms to contain potential leaks. Janet Conn, a ferry board member residing in Ohio, connected Mayor Rice with Taylor Abbott, who helped arrange for Bel-Air Harbor to provide a crane to lift the ferry from the water and transport it to dry dock for damage assessment, which is scheduled for early next week.

Also assisting in fuel containment contamination was the New Martinsville Fire Department deploying their rescue boat to help in the installation of a hard containment boom that was delivered by the DEP to the ferry landing late Friday night.

Mayor Rice expressed gratitude for the support, highlighting the resilience of the small community: “This little community has faced hardships in the past where the historic ferry is concerned. Working together, we will meet this challenge and move forward. Don’t count us out!”

Once the fuel containment is complete and the tug is raised, it will undergo evaluation and repairs, and officials are reviewing safety protocols to prevent future incidents.