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Tugboat goes from giving a tow to needing a hand

After they collided, the 40-foot Helen Louise made port in Portsmouth while the 80-foot Capt Mackintire sank off the coast of Kennebunk
Attempts by the U.S. Coast Guard to tow the 80-foot tugboat Capt Mackintire back to port were abandoned when it began taking on water and sank off the coast of Kennebunk on Feb. 22, 2018 (Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard District 1)

KENNEBUNK (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- Of the two tugboats involved in a collision three miles south of Kennebunk, only one made it back to port.

The 80-foot Capt Mackintire rests beneath 158 feet of water. The Coast Guard said it was being towed back to shore without a crew early Thursday by the 40-foot Helen Louise when the two boats collided. The two crew members on the Helen Louise were not hurt, but they were concerned enough about damage from the impact to send a distress call to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard deployed two vessels from stations in Portsmouth, N.H. and Boston. The N.H. team escorted the Helen Louise back to Portsmouth. The cutter from Boston set out to tow the Capt Mackintire to Portland, but cut the line and let it sink after it began taking on water.

The Coast Guard is working with other agencies to address pollution concerns that might arise from the wreck.

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