Divers Trying to Retrieve Third Body of Tugboat Crash

Working to Retrieve Third Crew Member

Divers are working to recover the body of the third and final crew member that was found inside the tugboat that sank in the Hudson River. All three crew members on The Specialist died when the tugboat crashed into a construction barge and sank Saturday.

Rescue crews were working Tuesday to recover the body of Harry Hernandez, of Staten Island, in a section of the 90-foot tugboat that divers are struggling to access.  To help with the retrieval, a commercial maritime salvage company is attempting to raise the boat where Hernandez’s remains have been located, CBS New York is reporting.

Eyewitness Accounts of Tugboat Crash

Witnesses told local news affiliate WABC that the back of the tug was under part of the construction barge and Captain Paul Amon, of Bayville, New Jersey, was seen running on deck as the vessel sank.  WABC reported that a worker on the construction barge told Amon to abandon the ship, but he stayed because his crew was trapped.  Amon’s body was recovered Saturday and the body of Timothy Conklin, of Westbury, New York, was retrieved from the boat Sunday.

An autopsy of the two recovered crew members showed they died from drowning, authorities said Monday.  Police are investigating the incident.

The Specialist was one of three tugboats escorting another barge carrying a crane from Albany to Jersey City.

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Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers is a Maritime law firm that has represented workers since 1964. Their attorneys have represented workers and families affected by major maritime disasters including the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe and the sinking of El Faro.  If you or a loved one has been injured in a maritime accident, call 1-800-282-2122 today to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a maritime injury attorney at SMSH.