Sinking Tugboat Released Thousands of Gallons of Diesel in an Alabama River

Thousands of gallons of diesel were released into the water after a tugboat sank in the Tennessee River. Courtesy of Florence Police Department

A tugboat sank into the Tennessee River in north Alabama over the weekend, releasing thousands of gallons of diesel into the water, authorities said.

According to the Florence Alabama Police Department, the boat released between 3,000 and 5,000 gallons of diesel into the water after it sank near O’Neal Bridge. The department said diesel fuel has begun to wash up the beaches of McFarland Park.