3 men on a sunken Vietnamese shrimping boat, based out of Galveston, were rescued by the Coast Guard on Monday, July 11 at 4 a.m./ Photo courtesy of Coast Guard Public Affairs
3 men rescued from sunken shrimp boat near Sabine Pass
By Sara Flores
Updated 6:10 pm, Monday, July 11, 2016
A Coast Guard boat crew rescued three men from a sinking shrimping boat at the mouth of the Sabine River on Monday morning, according to information from the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Captain Kelly, a 28-foot shrimping boat based in Galveston, began taking on water around 4 a.m. Monday, the Coast Guard reported.
The Coast Guard launched a 45-foot response boat from Station Sabine, which is located in Sabine Pass, shortly after the call came in.
The Sabine Pass boat crew arrived at the Captain Kelly's location at 4:30 a.m. and found debris and a sunken ship, the Coast Guard reported.
Two men were pulled out of the water near the river's jetties, and another was found in the water on a life ring. The Coast Guard said none of the men were wearing life jackets.
All three men were taken to the Station Sabine.
One crew member who was hurt in the rescue was taken to a Southeast Texas hospital with minor injuries, according to the Coast Guard.
According to the Coast Guard, the boat was carrying 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel at the time it sank.
A safety zone was set up by the Coast Guard one quarter mile north and south of the location of the boat while crews cleaned up the boat and an oil sheen.
=======================================================
Neches River restricted due to sunken boat
Jul 11th, 2016
PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Vessel traffic on the Neches River is restricted as a result of a shrimp boat that sank Monday morning. At approximately 3 a.m., the Captain Kevin sank in the Neches River, causing oil sheen and one minor injury.
The vessel is currently located approximately 1500 feet from the end of the channel and 100 feet from the west side of the jetty.
The Coast Guard has established a safety zone one-quarter mile north and one-quarter mile south of the sunken boat, spanning from jetty to jetty.
Some deep draft vessels have been authorized to transit the area to determine what, if any, impacts vessel movement may have on the sunken boat.
The Coast Guard is working with the Texas General Land Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, and vessel owners to recover the vessel and fuel. At the time the boat sank, it was carrying approximately 5000 gallons of diesel fuel.
The cause of the sinking is under investigation.