Videos show another barge drifting toward Vancouver beach

Runaway barge broke free from buoy We are getting a better idea of what led to yet another runaway barge in English Bay.

Crews intercepted a massive barge that was spotted drifting toward the Vancouver shoreline Tuesday afternoon, preventing the vessel from running aground.

The Canadian Coast Guard said the 200-foot commercial barge somehow became unmoored, leaving it adrift in English Bay shortly before 2:30 p.m.

"Two crews from our Kitsilano base were on scene within minutes to tie onto the barge to hold it in position, and off the beach, while they awaited commercial tugs," Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in a statement.

The Coast Guard was assisted by a vessel from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority until two tugboats arrived and towed the boat to safety.

Authorities said the incident was resolved in under an hour.

Alarming videos posted on social media showed the runaway barge headed for the area between English Bay Beach and Sunset Beach, leading some onlookers to worry there would be a repeat of the infamous 2021 incident that left a similar vessel trapped on the rocks for more than a year.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada could not confirm how the barge came loose from its mooring on Tuesday, but said there was "no pollution or injuries" as a result of the incident.