Recovery to begin for sunken barge in Mississippi River

HICKMAN — Salvage operations for a barge that overturned and sank last week in the Mississippi River in northeast Arkansas are expected to begin.

Spokesman Richard Wheatley for Kinder Morgan said recovery of the submerged vessel will begin Tuesday and should end Friday, depending on the weather. Wheatley said steel coils that fell into the water need to be removed before the boat is raised.

Two men identified as Juan Nieves and Nicolas Perez disappeared after the barge capsized while the steel coil was being unloaded at a terminal at Hickman near Blytheville. They worked for Houston-based Kinder Morgan through staffing agencies and are still missing.

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended their search for both men two days after they disappeared.

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