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Ludlow bromley yacht club a total loss after barge crash.

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The iconic Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club is a total loss after a barge slammed into the riverfront bar and restaurant, U.S. Coast Guard officials said Wednesday.

The barge slammed into the structure, obliterating the popular Northern Kentucky eatery and marina, located at 860 Elm St. along the banks of the Ohio River.

"The barge was heading northbound on the river, upstream, and at 6:05 am. Something happened and it collided with the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club," said Coast Guard Lt. Jim Brendel.

A large portion of the restaurant is slowly sinking and the other half had been dragged upriver early Wednesday.

The barge, carrying mostly gravel, slammed into the structure while coming upriver.

Authorities are not speculating on what caused the crash, but said the massive barge slammed into the restaurant while failing to turn along the riverfront.

“Its just destroyed the place,” said Keith O'Banion, who owns a boat that was docked at the club. “I’ve never seen anything like that and I’ve been keeping a boat down here since the 70’s.”

After the crash, the barge took part of the restaurant with it upriver, dragging it about a half-mile. The barge itself was not damaged.

Debris from the collision is scattered throughout the area, and crews are working to clean up.

Several boats were also set adrift, as the restaurant and marina also provided docking space. Officials said six boats at the yacht club have been separated from the dock and are adrift on the river due to the crash. Officials said they found three sunken boats on sonar.

Boat owners spent the day inspecting what could be repaired and documenting what cannot be.

Chris Hollon owns a boat he believes is a total loss.

"I knew when I saw the restaurant gone and the barges gone that my little boat wasn't going to stand much chance," Hollon said.

He said it is not uncommon for several of his friends who dock at the same place to sleep on their boats. He said he is relieved no one was on their boats Wednesday morning.

"Crazy things can happen and change in an instant," he said. "Don't take it for granted."

No injuries have been reported, officials said. Staff was scheduled to show up at the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club just 45 minutes after the crash.

Investigators at the scene said they do not believe toxic materials leaked into the river as a result of the crash.

The cause of the accident leaves dozens of questions. Among them is how a barge ended up so close to the riverbank.

Officials with the Coast Guard and the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife said they are questioning the captain.

The channel of the river was narrowed coming out of the turn about a year ago after a barge that sunk years ago shifted. The Coast Guard is investigating to see it that had an impact on the crash.

River traffic has been halted in the area as crews work to salvage the remains of the restaurant and marina.

WLWT will continue to update this story with more information as it comes in.

Coast Guard: Barge worker asleep at the controls caused Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club collision

The Coast Guard says the reason a barge slammed into the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club in October was because a person on barge fell asleep at the controls.

On Oct. 2, a 1,200-foot tow and barge combination carrying rock, sand and gravel collided with the longstanding club ripping the restaurant and marina in half . Boats docked there were also damaged.

On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Cincinnati released the finding of its investigation into the incident.

The towing vessel, named the Dale Artigue, operated by Florida Marine Transport was pushing 15 loaded barges and was undamaged in the crash.

"The causal factors included the Mate on-watch falling asleep while at the controls thereby failing to maintain a proper watch as the vessel was underway up-bound on the Ohio River at mile marker 474," the Coast Guard said.

Officials said two additional deckhands on the vessel at the time were not assigned to navigation duties.

The Coast Guard is taking enforcement action, but will not comment further on the case until the case is adjudicated.

The name of the person accused of fall asleep at the controls was not released by the Coast Guard.

The Dale Artigue, named for the late chief operating officer of Florida Marine Transport, is still on the water. This month, it's traveled to Paducah in Kentucky, Rockport in Indiana and Cape Girardeau in Missouri along with other locations.

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PD: Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club ‘total loss’ after barge crash

LUDLOW, Ky. — Server Kelly Gannon watched as parts of the beloved Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club sank into the Ohio River Wednesday morning.

The Ludlow staple is a total loss after a barge slammed into it at about 6 a.m., according to Chief Scott Smith. One person was aboard the barge when it crashed; no one was injured. Smith said the kitchen was sinking by Wednesday morning. Tables, bars and refrigerators were also starting to go underwater.

Gannon said the Yacht Club is much more than a floating bar and restaurant — to her, it’s home. The joint reminds her of her mother, who passed away last year.

“She loved coming down here and eating with my dad and everything ... so it’s memories, a lot of memories,” Gannon said.

It's not yet clear how the crash happened; the impact nearly split the bar and restaurant in half and sent six boats adrift in the river.

The popular spot bumps to live music and large crowds on the weekends. Smith said he recognizes the crash could have been much worse.

Daylight reveals damage at @Ludlow_Bromley Yacht Club after a barge slammed into the marina earlier this morning. One person was on the barge, and one person was on a boat that was hit, but no one was injured. https://t.co/MkqQDJv77N Photos | @jasmineminortv @WCPO pic.twitter.com/pVJHFLK5qu — Abby Anstead (@AbbyAnstead) October 2, 2019

“A Thursday night, a Friday night, a Saturday night, it would've been — it would’ve been a major problem,” Smith said.

Had the crash happened 45 minutes later, crews would have been opening the restaurant for the day, Smith said.

Gannon said she is devastated that the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club might be gone for good.

"Next couple of weeks, I think they are getting ready to end their season down here, but shouldn’t have to go out like this,” Gannon said.

Bromley Mayor Mike Denham is ready to do whatever he can to keep the business alive, he said Wednesday night after a city council meeting.

His city comprises only a few hundred people and sports no bars of its own. Ludlow is home to a little under 5,000. According to Denham, the Yacht Club connected and bolstered both small communities.

“I hope to God that Steve has enough energy to bring it back,” he said, referring to club owner Steve Gott. “If that don’t come back, we’re losing something precious that either Ludlow or Bromely hasn’t had.”

Gott did not immediately respond to reporters’ requests for comment about the future of his sunken business

The Coast Guard is investigating the crash.

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A portion of the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club complex remained attached to the tow-and-barge combination that crashed into the restaurant and marina hours after the collision. The barge came to rest several yards upriver from the impact site (file photos).

The Coast Guard has initiated administrative enforcement action against the mate’s credentials.

The full statement from the U.S. Coast Guard is included here.

The Coast Guard concluded the marine casualty investigation into the collision of the towing vessel DALE ARTIGUE pushing 15 loaded barges with the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club restaurant and marina on October 2, 2019. The causal factors included the Mate on-watch falling asleep while at the controls thereby failing to maintain a proper watch as the vessel was underway up-bound on the Ohio River at mile marker 474. There were two deckhands on-watch at the time of the incident; however, neither deckhand was assigned navigation watch duties. The Coast Guard has initiated administrative enforcement action against the mate’s Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential; however, the Coast Guard is unable to comment any further on specifics until such time as the enforcement case is adjudicated.

The large tow-and-barge combination struck the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club on the morning of October 2 morning, destroying the iconic complex, a destination for residents throughout Northern Kentucky and beyond.

Lt. Brendel provided an assessment of the collision and the damage at the time of the incident.

“This morning at 6:05, a 1,200-foot tow-and-barge combination on the Ohio River struck the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club Restaurant and Marina, Brendel said. “There was no loss of life or personal injury and no contamination resulted from this incident.

The towboat, later identified as the Dale Artigue, is a seven-year-old vessel owned by Florida Marine Transporters.

A U.S. Coast Guard report indicates a mate fell asleep at the controls, causing the DALE ARTIGUE (shown here) to crash into the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club.

Boats from the marina were cast adrift as a result of the collision and remained moored nearby hours after the incident.

Steve and Andrea Gott, owners of the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club posted this announcement on social media on Oct. 6, expressing thanks and giving hope to the thousands of area residents mourning the loss of the iconic complex.

“Well, as everyone knows we experienced a tragic loss on Wednesday for ourselves our family our wonderful staff and thousands of friends and supporters. LBYC has been our paradise sanctuary for 23 great seasons and we are so sad to watch it be destroyed in five minutes. However, with the support of our family, friends, and loyal customers we are keeping our heads up while we continue to make progress in the cleanup process. We would like to give a huge thank you to all of the crew from local fire departments and police departments, the American Red Cross, the US Coast Guard, Local Environmental Management, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, Homeland Security, and all other state and local authorities for the ongoing hours since the incident occurred. Thanks for the overwhelming amount of support, thoughts, and prayers that have been expressed, it has been humbling to the least. Even though we have our hands full at LBYC we (are) maintaining our efforts to open the LAGOON SALOON ( just across the street from LBYC.) We will be open Tuesday, October 8th for lunch at 11 a.m. While the future for LBYC remains unclear and there are a lot of challenges to face, all I can say is thanks from the bottom of our hearts & I WILL BE BACK”

Steve and Andrea Gott

Those wishing to support the Gotts, or share stories about the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club, can visit The Lagoon Saloon , at 859 Elm Street in Ludlow, which they also own.

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Ohio River remains closed near Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club after barge crash

LUDLOW, Ky. — Crews were still pulling debris from the Ohio River more than 24 hours after a barge smashed into the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club.

Officials deemed the floating bar and restaurant a total loss after a barge slammed into it at about 6 a.m. Wednesday. Chief Scott Smith said the kitchen was sinking by Wednesday morning. Tables, bars and refrigerators were also starting to go underwater.

As of 3 p.m. Thursday, the river was closed to all traffic between the mile marker 472 and mile marker 476.

The cleanup process is slow, Lt. Jim Brendel said. Crews are trying to remove submerged metal from the middle of the river, which involves divers attaching chains to the debris so they can pull them out of the water.

Once cleanup is complete, the U.S. Coast Guard will scan the bottom of the river. Officials will reopen the river once the Coast Guard determines it is safe.

Brendel said "time is money for towing companies.” Crews are working as quickly as they can, but their primary focus is safety.

Kim Bauer, executive director at Portsmouth-Scioto County Visitors Bureau, said the Ohio River has always been a boon to the economy.

“It’s a waterway that you can transport things all the way from Pittsburgh all the way to New Orleans … you can go right down the Ohio River and hit the Mississippi,” Bauer said. “It’s a wonderful way of transporting products, so it’s very vital and very important to a lot of companies.”

Officials are working to reopen the river as quickly as possible. They had hoped to have it open by Thursday afternoon.

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PD: Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club ‘total loss’ after barge crash

The Ludlow staple is a total loss after a barge slammed into it at about 6 a.m., according to Chief Scott Smith. One person was aboard the barge when it crashed; no one was injured.

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Ludlow-Bromley Yacht Club 'Looks Like A Total Loss' After Barge Strike

The Ludlow-Bromley Yacht Club appears to be a total loss after a barge drifted toward it and ultimately crashed into it early Wednesday morning.

Kenton County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Steve Hensley told The River City News that the local landmark's owner looked at the damage and declared it to be a total loss. RCN has not spoken directly with the owner.

"Portions of the Yacht Club are sinking as we speak," Hensley said a few hours after the crash. "There are about six boats currently intertwined with each other and still attached to the barge that struck them at the center of the river channel."

The Yacht Club's usual landing spot on the Ohio River is empty at this time, according to RCN reporter Connor Wall who has been on the scene this morning.

Multiple local, state and federal agencies are investigating. Hensley said the U.S. Coast Guard is handling the investigation and that so far there is no public information available yet about what caused the barge to drift. 

No one was injured, Hensley said, and all the boats are accounted for.

River traffic is also shut down at this time, Hensley said. There are no environmental concerns due to the barge's contents, he said, but the debris in the river from the crash is cause for concern, he added. 

The Ludlow-Bromley Yacht Club has long been a Northern Kentucky landmark. Its summer season was scheduled to end this Sunday, Oct. 6, according to its Facebook page.

"There may be certain pieces of equipment he can salvage but he's saying right now that it looks like a total loss," Hensley said of of the owner.

This story first appeared on The River City News . RCN continues to work this story and will update with more information as soon as possible.

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Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club owners open bar across the street for season

LUDLOW, Ky. (WKRC) - It was back to work Tuesday for some employees of the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club.

The club owners also run a bar across the street: The Lagoon Saloon. Tuesday was opening day for the lunch crowd.

Workers are still coping with last Wednesday's crash that sent a 1,200-foot barge plowing into the yacht club.

The U.S. Coast Guard says it could be months before we know what caused a barge to crash.