The United States Coast Guard is investigating what caused a dredging vessel to capsize in the Mississippi River near Meraux, causing an oil spill.
It happened around 12:50 a.m. Monday near river mile marker 85.
According to Coast Guard officials, two people on board the vessel were rescued by the crew of a good Samaritan towing vessel.
The Coast Guard is coordinating with an outside company to oversee the response to the oil spill and the plans to salvage the capsized vessel. So far, three response boats have arrived on scene to conduct skimming operations. Those boats have recovered nearly 3,400 gallons of oily water mixture. Crews have also deployed 940 feet of boom to contain the spilled oil.
United States Coast Guard
Coast Guard officials say flight crews confirmed that some of the oil has sheened downto mile marker 64, but they say they expect that oil to dissipate naturally.
The river was closed for eight hours on Monday, but it has since been reopened with restrictions in place for passing boats.
