NEAH BAY – The rescue vessel Gladiator aided a tug towing a barge loaded with more than 2 million gallons of diesel fuel and 500,000 gallons of gasoline early Wednesday.
The 105-foot Na Hoku was headed down the coast when it lost its primary steering and electrical power about 12.5 miles off Cape Flattery, according to the state Department of Ecology.
It was the 36th time a rescue tug based at Neah Bay had aided a vessel in distress.
Just nine days earlier, the Gladiator had escorted the Kauai, a 720-foot container ship struck by 60-foot waves that smashed the windows from its bridge, damaging electrical gear and shutting down its primary steering system.
The Kauai was escorted to Seattle for repairs.
