Rio Port 1

Off the coast of Rio de Janeiro | Brazil

The RIO PORT 1 was a 77-meter cargo hopper barge operating in the waters around Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During a cargo transfer operation and while adjacent to a critical navigation channel, the barge broke in half and sunk 20 meters.

A Resolve Marine emergency response team was mobilized, and along with local partners, removed the wreck and its cargo. Resolve Marine and its partners used specialized resources–personnel, equipment, crafts, and technologies–for the wreck, recovery, and removal. An above-water cutting crew and divers working underwater cut, rigged and removed the wreck to the mudline. The salvage team also recovered the wreck's pig-iron cargo and returned it to the client. The wreck removal was complicated by the discovery of previously unknown amounts of combustible coal inside the wreck compartments, strong currents, and safety precautions required in light of COVID-19.