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A barge with a net shed structure was under tow one day when it apparently struck a deadhead (a partially submerged log) just downstream of the floathome. The barge's hull was badly holed and it began to take on water at a rapid rate. It quickly sank in about ten feet of water, its upper structure still visible above the surface. In a show of selfless neighbourly assistance that is common among the local fishing and riverside community, vessels of all kinds rushed to the assistance of the stricken barge and its tow boat crew. Unable to tow the barge, the vessels succeeded in pushing it into shallower water, free of the navigation channel.

Attempts were made to raise the sunken barge, but they failed. It lay on the bottom for more than a year, its upper structure protruding forlornly above the waves. Eventually the structure was dismantled and the barge was successfully raised and towed away.