Tugboat Sinks After Colliding With Tanker Ship In The Mississippi River

A tugboat sank in the Mississippi River on Sunday night after it collided with a tanker ship near Luling, Louisiana. The five crew members on board the tugboat were rescued and did not suffer serious injuries.

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the incident, which happened near the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge in St. Charles Parish. Authorities said the tanker was moving upriver when it struck the smaller tugboat, which caused it to sink.

The tugboat, named Patrick J. Studdert, went down in a part of the river that is about 90 feet deep.

Sheriff Greg Champagne said that by 10 p.m. on Sunday, all crew members had been rescued. Coast Guard teams arrived later and found that the crew had already been pulled from the water by nearby boats.

Emergency medical teams checked the crew, and while they were taken to a hospital to make sure they were okay, they were soon released.

After the collision, a small amount of diesel fuel leaked into the river, creating a silver sheen on the water. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality did flyovers to check for pollution and found the sheen but no major fuel spill.

Crews placed containment booms to prevent the fuel from spreading, and aerial surveys showed no major pollution from the sunken tugboat.

The tanker involved, the Clara B., did not sink. It stayed in the New Orleans area while the Coast Guard continued to investigate.

The tanker’s crew was all accounted for. Authorities are still trying to find out how the crash happened.

The river was closed for a few hours from mile markers 120 to 123 on Sunday night, but it was reopened early Monday morning, and traffic is now flowing normally.

Officials said there is no immediate danger to local residents. While a diesel smell was noticed in the area, it was not harmful.

As a precaution, water intake systems were temporarily shut down but were reopened by Monday morning after deflection booms were placed in the river.

Local agencies including the Coast Guard and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, are working together to monitor the situation and clean up the area.

References: AP News, ABC News