'Heroic' water taxi captain recounts steering loose barge away from Seattle waterfront

When a 300-foot loose barge began drifting toward Seattle's waterfront on Thursday afternoon, King County Metro Water Taxi Captain Dan Krehbiel came to the rescue.

He remembers alerting passengers about a slight delay because "we have to divert a barge from hitting the waterfront," he said. "And I believe from downstairs, I heard somebody say 'Cool.'"

High winds were pushing the barge along Elliot Bay without tug boats to guide it on Nov. 2.

It turned into an unforgettable day out on the water for Capt. Krehbiel, who has been with King County since 2009. He has more than 30 years of experience as a high-speed vessel captain.

"You can definitely see the David-and-Goliath aspect of it. A small aluminum passenger going up against a giant steel barge and all those containers," Krehbiel said. The barge was carrying six stories of empty containers, which loomed over the small water taxi.

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