One person has been rescued and two others are still missing after a tugboat capsized on the Mississippi River Monday morning. The Natalie Jean was towing a barge carrying around 600 gallons of fuel before it sank. The Lower Mississippi River is currently closed from mile marker 89 to 90.5, in the Algiers Point area.
The Coast Guard sector New Orleans said a “good Samaritan” has rescued one of the individuals on the tugboat, stating they had managed to escape the pilot house of the boat once it capsized.
The Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, Coast Guard Station New Orleans Response Boat-Medium boat crew, Coast Guard Cutter Barbara Mabrity, and the New Orleans Harbor Police are involved in the search for the other two missing people. 15 mph winds, cold water and the height of the river has complicated the search.
The cause for the tugboat to capsize is still under investigation by the Coast Guard.
If you were injured in a maritime accident, please feel free to contact Maintenance and Cure, a part of Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers, for a free consultation with one of our maritime lawyers today!
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