Crane to raise sunken Hudson River tugboat, recover body of third crewmember

NEW YORK, March 24 (UPI) -- A massive crane is being moved into position Thursday to hoist a tugboat that crashed near the Tappan Zee Bridge and sank in the Hudson River, killing three crew members.

Divers will also attempt to recover the body of crewmember Harry Hernandez, 56, who was trapped inside the 90-foot tugboat when it went down on March 12. The tugboat's captain, Paul Amon, 63, and crewmember Timothy Conklin, 29, were also killed.

The tugboat, named Specialist, was one of three escorting a barge carrying a crane from Albany to New Jersey when it collided with a stationary construction barge near the bridge, which is under construction. The tug sank to about 40 feet.

"There were reports that radioed in, 'we are too close, we have to move left,'" Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at the time of the crash. "They didn't move in time."