Towboat carrying 13K gallons of diesel sinks near LaPlace

A towboat carrying about 13,000 gallons of diesel fuel sank Thursday (March 7) on the Mississippi River near LaPlace, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The five crew members on board the sinking boat, the St. Rita, were rescued by a good Samaritan towboat, the Rod C.

No injuries were reported and there have been no reported impacts to river traffic, Coast Guard Sector New Orleans said in a news release.

A visible sheen was reported around the boat, which sank around 3 p.m. Thursday. A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter, diverted to conduct an overflight of the sunken vessel, reported the sheen from mile marker 132 to mile marker 117.

Read more: https://www.nola.com/news/2019/03/towboat-carrying-13k-gallons-of-diesel-sinks-near-laplace-coast-guard.html