Crews say a tug boat sank in the Mississippi River.
"The Coast Guard is searching for a person in the water after a towing vessel capsized at mile marker 55 on the lower Mississippi River north of Point A La Hache, Louisiana, Monday," the Guard said in a news release. "Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a notification at 8:12 p.m. of the 54-foot inspected towing vessel Seattle Slew capsizing in the Mississippi River near Myrtle Grove Fleet with three people on board."
Officials say two people were recovered, but they could not initially find the third individual.
They called in a number of resources to help in the search:
- Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew
- Coast Guard Station Venice 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew
- Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Department marine asset crew
- There is a waterway closure from mile marker 55 to mile marker 58 on the Mississippi River.
The release says, "The cause of the incident is under investigation."
This is the third such incident in the past two weeks.
Last week a tug boat sank near Baton Rouge. All four people on board that vessel escaped to safety. There was, however, a fuel spill.
Another tug sank near LaPlace. The five crewmembers that were on board that vessel were rescued by a good Samaritan.
All of this comes amid very high and fast moving water on the Mississippi River.
