IMAGERY AVAILABLE: Coast Guard, good Samaritans rescue 6 people from capsized vessel 8 miles south of Port Fourchon searching for more

 

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Heartland Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Office: 504-671-2020 After Hours: 618-225-9008 Eighth District online newsroom

Coast Guard, good Samaritans rescue 6 people from capsized vessel 8 miles south of Port Fourchon, searching for more

  

Editors' Note: Click on images to download high-resolution version.

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard and multiple good Samaritan vessels rescued six people from a capsized commercial vessel Tuesday and are searching for more 8 miles south of Port Fourchon.

Coast Guard watchstanders received an emergency position indicating radio beacon notification at 4:30 p.m. of a distressed 129-foot commercial lift vessel. The watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast, which multiple good Samaritan boatcrews responded to.

The crew of the pre-commissioned Coast Guard Cutter Glen Harris, a 154-foot Fast Response Cutter, arrived on scene within 30 minutes and rescued one person from the capsized vessel. A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Grand Isle rescued another person and good Samaritan vessels on scene rescued four other people from the water.

Rescue crews searching:

• Coast Guard Cutter Glen Harris
• Coast Guard Cutter Amberjack en route
• A Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter
• Two Coast Guard Station Grand Isle 45-foot RB-M
• Four good Samaritan vessels
• An HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi

Editors' Note: Our initial Tweet incorrectly reported the vessel is 265-feet and off Grand Isle. The correct vessel length is 129-feet and it's south of Port Fourchon.

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-USCG-