USCG responds to sunken towing vessel

Written by Marine Log Staff
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The Coast Guard was responding to a sunken towing vessel in Pass a Loutre near Venice, La., Monday.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a report at 2 a.m. that the towing vessel Dejeanne Maria, operated by Denet Towing Services of Boothville, La., had struck a submerged object when pushing two empty dry cargo barges, transiting downbound on the Mississippi River.

The three people who were aboard the Dejeanne Maria at the time transferred to the towing vessel Supporter 1.

As of Monday, an assist tug was en route to retrieve the barges, while the Dejeanne Maria was submerged with its port side above the water and was blocking the channel in Pass a Loutre.

There was a maximum potential of 7,000 gallons of oil on board with a reported 60 gallons having entered the water.

Sector New Orleans incident management team mobilized to conduct a shoreline assessment.

Emergency responder ES&H was contracted to respond and deployed boom around the sunken vessel.

An ES&H air drone and Coast Guard overflight observed no active discharge of oil.

The incident is under investigation.

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