Dredge sandbox sinks to bottom of creek

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - On the first day of dredging sand from the bottom of the creek on Long Creek in Virginia Beach, a containment box holding sand ended up on the bottom of the creek.

From the looks of photographs shared with WAVY.com by resident Lynn Hume, it appears as though the barge hit an obstacle, raised up from rushing currents underneath it until the containment box hit the barge itself and slipped into the creek.

Salmon Services Incorporated is under contract with the City of Virginia Beach to dredge the creek in which the containment box fell into. Salmon Service Inc.'s owner Jim Salmons refused to speak with WAVY.com regarding the incident or who would pay for it.

Hume says she heard a crew member trying to save the tug boat pushing the barge that held the containment box.

"I heard the guy saying, 'I'm going down with it!I thought I was gone,'" Hume said.

The excavator spent Thursday afternoon transferring the sand from the sunk containment box and putting it on another containment box. The box on the bottom was later removed and pulled to shore.

Hume says she battled the city for months, trying to prevent a massive drudge station from being built. She says she is not opposed to the lighter dreading transfer being built now.

"This was only the second load, and we saw it happen before our eyes which is incredible," Hume said.

The dredging was supposed to take three days.