Pile Driver/Barge Capsizes Near Paddlewheel Park

A pile driver/barge tied up to log booms off Paddlewheel Park has tipped over.

Vernon Fire Rescue Captain Reinhard Mann says crews were called about 4 pm Sunday afternoon.

“Reports were that it was taking on water earlier that day and leaning, and subsequently I guess filled enough that it tipped over.”

The boom from the pile driver appears to be laying on the bottom of the lake in about 30 feet of water.

It’s at the entrance to the Vernon Yacht Club and is impeding boat traffic

“So any larger boats or any sailboats or anything without a larger draw or draft would have to take caution or not go out”

What caused the vessel to take on water isn’t known.

It’s not clear if there is any fuel leakage.

“There was no spilled fuel in the water that we could see but obviously we couldn’t get out to the location. We did take note of several jerry cans that were floating next to the barge”

The Ministry of Environment, Coastguard and Transport Canada were all notified.

The owner of the pile driver barge that capsized is trying to figure out what happened.

Brent Jolife of Valley Pile Driving says there’s no fuel leakage.

“There is nothing leaking, it’s good, I just have to get it righted. It’s still floating on its side,” he told Kiss FM.

Jolife hasn’t determined what happened.

“It was just parked. It was pumped out and cleaned up on Wednesday. I don’t understand what happened. The commodore was out there around 3 o’clock and it was sitting fine.”

Jolife says he is looking at what can be done.

“I’ve got to get a crane tomorrow morning, and we’ll try to get it close to shore and then right it.”