The United States Coast Guard and several Good Samaritan ships assist rescue efforts after a 265-foot commercial lift boat capsized south of Grand Isle, La., In the Gulf of Mexico.
Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Jonathan Lally told NPR there have been conflicting reports that other ships may also be in distress, but the first call came at 4:30 p.m. local time. This triggered an urgent marine information, which initiated the rescue measures.
“The Coast Guard and several Good Samaritan ships are on site about 8 miles south of Grand Isle,” Lally said.
It is unclear how many people were on the lift boat at the time, but he said the coast guard was looking for victims in the water.
“We’re still trying to figure out the real number of people who were on the boat,” Lally said.
He said a “bad weather microburst” may have caused the vehicle to tip over.
Houston-based Coast Guard petty officer Ryan Dickinson told NPR a twin-engine 144 ‘Ocean SentryThe plane from Corpus Christi, Texas was sent to help with the search, but helicopters from Houston were en route because of the high winds.
Update at 800 a.m. The gusty winds will linger in and out of these showers for the next few hours. Gusts up to 40-50 miles per hour possible. #mswx #lawx #NOLA pic.twitter.com/nSCjbsjaaQ
– NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) April 14, 2021
The National Weather Service gave one Lightning flood clock for all of southeast Louisiana Tuesday through Thursday noon as heavy rains may occur.
“Do not enter or cross running water or water of unknown depth,” the service said.
The NWS also issued a wind report warning residents to prepare for gusts of up to 45 mph from Tuesday until 3 a.m.
“Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Branches could be blown off and some power outages could occur,” the agency said.
This is a developing story. Some things reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from officials and other agencies, credible news outlets and reporters who are on the ground. We will update as soon as the situation develops.
