Sunken Barge Could Sink Business, Riverfront Plans If Not Recovered Soon

The Tiki Barge has been underwater since it unexpectedly sank April 8.

The Tiki Bar barge at Riverwatch Restaurant in Lawrenceburg sank April 8, 2018. Photo provided by AJ Waltz.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – Just weeks remain in a race against time to remove a sunken barge from the Ohio River.

Riverwatch Restaurant’s tiki barge broke free from the main barge and sank into the Ohio River this past April. A Lawrenceburg Police officer captured the sinking on his cruiser’s dash cam.

Since then, the vessel has remained underwater somewhere downstream from the restaurant, which has been open with its remaining seating this summer.

The sunken barge is owned by restaurant owner Mike Rauen, but the permit for the barge is held by the city.

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers is on the owner and city to remove the barge, or the city could lose the permit. That could put Rauen’s restaurant out of businesses.

Rauen and his attorney approached Lawrenceburg Common Council on Monday.

“We’re here to do one thing and that is to get this barge up and clear the Corps of Engineers and not to pull our permit,” Rauen told council.

Rauen said he hired an investigator to pinpoint what caused the barge to sink, but did not share if a cause had been determined.

He could not offer Mayor Kelly Mollaun and councilmembers a guarantee that he would be able to have the barge removed from the river before the Corps’ hard deadline of September 14.

With that in mind, city leaders say the city will begin acting to remove the sunken vessel by that date.

“It doesn’t sound like you’re going to get it out. So, we’re going to step in and we’re going to get it out because we have to protect our permit,” said Mollaun.

Councilmembers Aaron Cook and Tony Abbott shared the belief that if the city has to remove the barge, it would constitute a breach of contract by Riverwatch.

Rauen and the city are in discussions about who will pay for the removal. Rauen said he doesn’t want to ask to use taxpayer dollars and offered to repay the city over time if it pays the removal costs up front.

The restaurant owner has received bids from marine salvage companies ranging from $90,000 up to $300,000. Disposal or storage of the barge could require additional funding.

Rauen’s insurance may pay for the removal, but he indicated that there is litigation surrounding that.

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