1,000 ton crane arriving to lift sunken tugboat after fatal Hudson crash

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Monday, March 21, 2016
(Glenn Raymo)
wabc-Glenn Raymo

TARRYTOWN, New York (WABC) -- Some heavy-duty help will arrive at the Hudson River this week to recover the tugboat involved in a deadly accident near the Tappan Zee Bridge.

The boat called 'Specialist' has sat at the bottom of the Hudson since it crashed into a construction barge.

Three crew members aboard the tugboat were killed. One man's body is still inside.

A 1,000 ton crane is due to arrive from Virginia at the salvage site late Tuesday or early Wednesday. It is scheduled to lift 'Specialist' to the surface early Thursday morning.

Dive teams have been trying to access the last of the three victims, but poor visibility, location of the crew member in the vessel and damage to the vessel are all working against divers. The body of Harry Hernandez, of Staten Island, will not be removed until the boat is lifted to the surface.

"They searched everywhere they could reach," said Westchester County Police spokesman Kieran O'Leary.

The 90-foot tugboat hit a construction barge March 12 where workers are building the new Tappan Zee Bridge. It sank in minutes.

The autopsies of the two other men killed in the collision on the Hudson River north of New York City showed they drowned.