ludlow bromley yacht club rebuild

PD: Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club ‘total loss’ after barge crash

LUDLOW, Ky. — Server Kelly Gannon watched as parts of the beloved Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club sank into the Ohio River Wednesday morning.

The Ludlow staple is a total loss after a barge slammed into it at about 6 a.m., according to Chief Scott Smith. One person was aboard the barge when it crashed; no one was injured. Smith said the kitchen was sinking by Wednesday morning. Tables, bars and refrigerators were also starting to go underwater.

Gannon said the Yacht Club is much more than a floating bar and restaurant — to her, it’s home. The joint reminds her of her mother, who passed away last year.

“She loved coming down here and eating with my dad and everything ... so it’s memories, a lot of memories,” Gannon said.

It's not yet clear how the crash happened; the impact nearly split the bar and restaurant in half and sent six boats adrift in the river.

The popular spot bumps to live music and large crowds on the weekends. Smith said he recognizes the crash could have been much worse.

Daylight reveals damage at @Ludlow_Bromley Yacht Club after a barge slammed into the marina earlier this morning. One person was on the barge, and one person was on a boat that was hit, but no one was injured. https://t.co/MkqQDJv77N Photos | @jasmineminortv @WCPO pic.twitter.com/pVJHFLK5qu — Abby Anstead (@AbbyAnstead) October 2, 2019

“A Thursday night, a Friday night, a Saturday night, it would've been — it would’ve been a major problem,” Smith said.

Had the crash happened 45 minutes later, crews would have been opening the restaurant for the day, Smith said.

Gannon said she is devastated that the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club might be gone for good.

"Next couple of weeks, I think they are getting ready to end their season down here, but shouldn’t have to go out like this,” Gannon said.

Bromley Mayor Mike Denham is ready to do whatever he can to keep the business alive, he said Wednesday night after a city council meeting.

His city comprises only a few hundred people and sports no bars of its own. Ludlow is home to a little under 5,000. According to Denham, the Yacht Club connected and bolstered both small communities.

“I hope to God that Steve has enough energy to bring it back,” he said, referring to club owner Steve Gott. “If that don’t come back, we’re losing something precious that either Ludlow or Bromely hasn’t had.”

Gott did not immediately respond to reporters’ requests for comment about the future of his sunken business

The Coast Guard is investigating the crash.

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'i will be back': owners speak for first time since ludlow bromley yacht club barge crash.

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The owners of the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club said they will be back after the restaurant and marina were destroyed by a barge crash last week, according to a post on the restaurants Facebook page.

The iconic yacht club is a total loss after a barge slammed into the riverfront bar and restaurant Wednesday, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.

The barge slammed into the structure, obliterating the popular Northern Kentucky eatery and marina, located at 860 Elm St. along the banks of the Ohio River.

"The barge was heading northbound on the river, upstream, and at 6:05 am., something happened, and it collided with the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club," said Coast Guard Lt. Jim Brendel.

A large portion of the restaurant slowly sank into the river while the other half was being dragged upriver by the barge.

The barge, carrying mostly gravel, slammed into the structure while coming upriver.

Authorities are not speculating on what caused the crash, but said the massive barge slammed into the restaurant while failing to turn along the riverfront.

After the crash, the barge took part of the restaurant with it upriver, dragging it about a half-mile. The barge itself was not damaged.

Debris from the collision is scattered throughout the area, and crews are working to clean up.

Several boats were also set adrift, as the restaurant and marina also provided docking space. Officials said six boats at the yacht club have been separated from the dock and are adrift on the river due to the crash. Officials said they found three sunken boats on sonar.

"LBYC has been our paradise sanctuary for 23 great seasons and we are so sad to watch it be destroyed in five minutes," owners Steve and Andrea Gott said in a Facebook post. "However, with the support of our family, friends, and loyal customers we are keeping our heads up while we continue to make progress in the cleanup process."

The Gotts said the support and help from local agencies during the clean up process has been humbling.

We would like to give a huge thank you to all of the crew from local fire departments and police departments, the American Red Cross, the US Coast Guard, Local Environmental Management, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Homeland Security and all other state and local authorities for the ongoing hours since the incident occurred," the Gotts said in the post.

The Gotts said despite having their hands full with the yacht club, they will be opening the Lagoon Saloon on Tuesday for lunch.

"While the future for LBYC remains unclear and there are a lot of challenges to face, all I can say is thanks from the bottom of our hearts & I WILL BE BACK," the Gotts said on Facebook.

The cause of the accident leaves dozens of questions. Among them is how a barge ended up so close to the riverbank.

Officials with the Coast Guard and the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife said they are questioning the captain.

GALLERY: The Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club before and after a barge collided with it

The Ludlow Bromley Yacht club was deemed a 'total loss' Wednesday after a barge hit it

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Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club

Cg: operator falling asleep caused yacht club allision.

A Coast Guard investigation has determined a “mate on-watch” falling asleep at the controls caused a tow to hit a Cincinnati-area floating restaurant and marina. The allision between the towing… Read More

Tow Strikes Ohio River Yacht Club

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Early-morning barge crash destroys Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club, cause remains under investigation

By Mark Hansel NKyTribune managing editor

A barge crash on the Ohio River has destroyed a Northern Kentucky landmark.

A large tow-and-barge combination struck the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club Wednesday morning and the iconic complex, a destination for residents throughout Northern Kentucky and beyond, appears to be a total loss.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jim Brendel, detachment supervisor for the Cost Guard Marine Safety Detachment in Cincinnati, provided details of the crash.

“This morning at 6:05, a 1,200 foot tow-and-barge combination on the Ohio River struck the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club Restaurant and Marina, Brendel said. “There was no loss of life or personal injury and no contamination resulted from this incident.

The tow boat, later identified as the Dale Artigue, is a seven-year-old vessel owned by Florida Marine Transporters.

At times people  stay on boats at the marina overnight, but Wednesday morning there was only one person on a houseboat, and he managed to escape unscathed.

There was, however, substantial damage to the Yacht Club complex, which almost certainly can’t be repaired.

Following the crash, a four-mile section of the Ohio River was closed to all traffic including recreational vessels.

“We are now transitioning to a salvage operation,” Brendel said. “We will reopen the river as soon as possible, we don’t know when that moment will be.”

An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard and Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. There is no timeline, but typically these investigations can take weeks or even months.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jim Brendel provides details of a tow-and-barge crash on the Ohio river Wednesday that destroyed the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club.

Brendel was reluctant to provide details while the investigation is still underway, but the visual evidence offered some insights into what happened.

A portion of the complex, which included the kitchen, was crumpled against the shoreline.

Other docks, including the bandstand, bar and dining areas were detached by the barge and carried several yards downriver, where they remained late Wednesday.

That portion of the facility, which was still hung up on the barge, began to drift in the water at one point, but was quickly secured by crews on scene. One section, described by employees as the “cornhole dock,” suffered serious visible damage.

Two employees, who did not want to be named, were observing that portion of the complex from a park across the street from Ludlow High School.

Both said they had been with the Yacht Club for about four years and called it a really fun place to work. One of them said he was scheduled to report to work about half an hour after the crash.

Six boats from the marina were cast adrift by the impact and were moored in the river, near the barges.

“We are asking all boaters who have vessels at this marina to be patient. We cannot let anyone move their boats, until we know it is safe,” Brendel said. “The salvage team is working with nearby marinas to provide storage for boats.”

The Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club is an extremely popular spot and on busy nights caters to capacity crowds.

Ludlow Police Chief Scott Smith said under the circumstances it was a best case scenario, adding that if the crash had happened on a Friday or Saturday night, it could have been much worse.

Brendel said the barge was a normal configuration for the Ohio River, which is three wide by five long. It was carrying mostly rock, sand and gravel, with one styrene barge in the back.

There was no damage to the barges or the towing vessel and Brendel said Coast Guard officials spoke with the captain of the Dale Artigue, but would not elaborate on the conversation.

Several people were observing the wreckage from a walkway at the adjacent Celebrations Riverboats.

Jan Peek, who lives nearby and is a regular at the Yacht Club, said she heard about the crash on the news and came down to check it out. She was already talking about one of her favorite hangouts in the past tense.

“It was just a really fun place,” she said. “It’s such a shame.”

Ed Conrad, a CERT with the Delhi Fire Department who lives in nearby Villa Hills, was awakened with a call shortly after 6 a.m. and was asked to come down and take pictures.

He said he had been to the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club several times and called it an institution.

“Even if they rebuild it, and I don’t know how they can, it’ll never be the same as it was,” Conrad said.

The owner of Celebrations Riverboats said his facility suffered some minor damage, but it appeared to be intact.

The barges were heading northbound on the river, upstream, and something caused it to collide with the restaurant/marina facility.

Brendel wouldn’t say how far off course the barge was except that it was, “outside of the channel, because he hit the restaurant.”

“There could be any number of things that could cause a collision like this, right now it would be premature for me to mention anything,” Brendel said. “Rest assured, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Coast Guard are investigating what caused this accident and then we are also going to be looking at how to prevent it from happening in the future.”

About a year ago, some new buoys were installed on the river near the crash site.

The buoys were placed because a sunken barge shifted and created issues when the water level was low, but Brendel said they are located outside of the navigable channel.

The average depth in what is called the Markland Pool has a minimum navigation depth of 26 feet, at low water. The river level was estimated at between 26.5 and 27 feet at the time of the crash.

“That will be something that we will look at with this investigation, that’s all going to be part of it,” Brendel said. “We will be looking for any video from different facilities, anything the public can provide, we do have a couple of sources of video that will be included in our investigation.

Typically a vessel the size of the one involved in the crash will have several crew members, including a captain, or pilot, engineers and deckhands.

“At any given time, your going to have one person driving the boat and one person on lookout, making sure everything is OK on deck,” Brendel said.

Several agencies responded to the crash scene including fire departments from Ludlow, Cincinnati and Covington, Ludlow Police, Boone County Water Rescue, Kenton County and Campbell County emergency management crews, Kenton County Police, the American Red Cross, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, Kentucky EPA, SD1 and Duke Energy.

The history of the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club dates back to the 1950s and 60s. The current owners revived the marina and it is now in its 21st year under their leadership.

The Coast Guard is working with salvage companies in the area to assess what debris is in the middle of the river, so it can be removed and the waterway can be reopened.

“There are multiple options on the table…once wave have a plan that we’ve all agreed upon they we’ll go ahead and execute it,” Brendel said.

The salvage operation was expected to take several hours and the impacted section of the river could reopen today.

The tow boat will remain on the scene until it is released by the Coast Guard.

Contact Mark Hansel at [email protected]

One thought on “ Early-morning barge crash destroys Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club, cause remains under investigation ”

Can’t find good help nowadays. Everyone is too soft to work at all or are all drugged up. Im surprised they can find enough people to even float a barge in todays world. a plumber is going to get better pay soon more than doctors, note that down.

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Barge slams into Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club

by David Winter, WKRC

LUDLOW, Ky. ( WKRC ) - A violent collision Wednesday morning on the Ohio River destroyed a yacht club and closed the river to all traffic.

A 1,200-foot barge went off course and crashed into the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club. The Coast Guard says the river will likely remain closed in the four-mile stretch south of Cincinnati until all the debris can be cleared, which will likely take well into Wednesday evening.

Crews spent the day trying to find safe harbors for the boats that remain at the harbor and the ones that the rogue barge carried upriver several hundred yards. The barge sits upriver with pleasure boats and part of the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club still wedged against it — the result of the violent collision Wednesday morning.

“I just saw everything getting pushed up -- the docks -- the outside river docks getting pushed up against my boat and I was in a state of panic,” Matthew Hoerst, the harbormaster, said. “I took off running; I was going the other way.”

The barge missed Hoerst by a matter of feet. He lives aboard a houseboat in the harbor.

“I was yelling to the helm and anybody who would’ve heard me on that boat,” he said.

Kelly Gannon is a waitress at the yacht club.

“I was having my morning coffee, and I heard the paramedics and firetrucks go past the house and I turned on the police scanner and heard a barge had just hit the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club and I about freaked out. I’m like, 'Wow!'” Gannon said.

Gannon is now one of dozens who are trying to figure out their next moves. She is now out of a job. Others are wondering if their boats are still afloat.

“Somebody sent me a picture that showed it was still floating,” said Keith Obanion. “I’ll see if it is; I have no idea. It was taken up the river."

"We have a big sale on boats here this weekend," he laughed.

Police are saying had this happened at a different time, there could have been mass casualties.

“It was a best-case scenario for us,” said Ludlow Police Chief Scott Smith. “If this was on a Thursday night or Friday night or Saturday night, it would’ve been a major problem”

“I’m wondering what happened,” said Gannon. “I mean, how could this happen? How could a barge just hit something right there when they’ve got all this technology?”

That question is front of mind for the Coast Guard, who at a press briefing Wednesday said they have spoken with the towboat captain but would reveal no other details about the interview or the rest of the investigation. It leaves more questions than answers for those affected by the collision, like Gannon.

• More on the investigation here

“A lot of people are are going to be devastated out here today over this," she said.

Fish and Wildlife also on scene, reporting that there was no spill or other contamination due to the collision. The Coast Guard says its investigation could take weeks or even months to complete.

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Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club Barge Accident

Post by GB49 » Sat May 30, 2020 12:16 pm

Re: Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club Barge Accident

Post by barefoot99 » Sat May 30, 2020 5:44 pm

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