The ghost gravel barge that enthralled social media in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta has finally been recovered. The vessel froze into the Kuskokwim River on its way to Red Devil last fall, stopping just past Aniak before this spring’s river breakup freed it.
The unmanned barge slowly floated down the Kuskokwim River with the ice, traveling more than 100 miles. Residents in Kuskokwim River communities started posting pictures of the rogue barge until it was recovered on May 9. It’s now docked at the Bethel port, according to the barge’s owner, Alaska Logistics.
Alaska Logistics General Manager Allyn Long said that the barge was headed up to Red Devil last October, but the river began to freeze and the barge got stuck in the ice. Long said in an email that several residents in Kuskokwim river communities helped with recovering the barge.
