One Dead in Oil Barge Fire Off Port Aransas
By MarEx 2017-10-20 15:25:38
The U.S. Coast Guard reported Friday that the oil barge B255 caught fire early on Friday at a position about three miles off the harbor entrance at Port Aransas, Texas. The barge was under tow by the ATB tug Buster Bouchard at the time of the incident. One of the tug's eight crewmembers has been confirmed dead and one remains missing. The USCG has not released information on whether any of the survivors sustained injuries.
At 0435, USCG Sector Corpus Christi received a mayday from the captain of the Bouchard, who reported that the barge attached to his tug was on fire and two crewmembers were unaccounted for.
The Coast Guard dispatched a small response boat and a Dolphin search and rescue helicopter to the scene, and the Port of Corpus Christi sent its fireboat to help with the effort to extinguish the blaze. The response team has established a 1,000 yard safety zone in the vicinity of the barge.
The barge is carrying approximately 130,000 barrels of crude oil, and initial reports indicate that there is an unknown amount of oil in the water. The USCG has deployed booms around the vessel to prevent the spread of pollution, and air monitoring is being conducted. The USCG reports that there are no signs of risk to human health at this time.
“In this situation, safety is paramount,” said Capt. Jason Smith, the Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi acting sector commander. “Our first objective is to find the missing crew members, and our immediate second objective is pollution response and ensuring navigational safety in the affected area.”
A unified command including the Coast Guard, the Texas General Land Office (GLO) and a representative of barge owner Bouchard Transportation has been set up to oversee the response effort.
A spokesperson for New York-based vessel operator Bouchard Transportation was not immediately available for comment.
Local newspaper The Island Moon posted additional photos of the response effort at midday on Friday (below).
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UPDATED Oct. 23, 2017
The Coast Guard suspended its search for two crewmembers offshore of Port Aransas, Texas, Saturday evening.
The two men went missing after the forward section of a barge they were on exploded and caught fire Friday morning, three miles off the jetties of Port Aransas.
The Coast Guard completed a comprehensive search for the two unaccounted crewmembers on Friday and Saturday. Multiple oil discharge recovery and Coast Guard assets are still on scene in the vicinity of the barge that continue to maintain a vigilant watch for the men.
The Coast Guard is ready to resume the search upon receiving any new information on the status or location of the two men.
“We want to convey our deepest condolences to the families of the two crewmembers,” said Capt. Tony Hahn, sector commander of Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi. “Our crews performed an exhaustive search and will continue to remain vigilant and monitor the area closely.”
The captain of the 127’x37’x20’, 6,140-hp tugboat Buster Bouchard sent a mayday call at 4:35 a.m. Friday picked up by Coast Guard watchstanders at Corpus Christi, reporting that barge B. No. 255 was on fire and two crewmembers unaccounted for, according to Coast Guard officials. Six other crew were safe, the Coast Guard said.
The vessels operated by Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc., Melville, N.Y., were three miles off the Aransas Pass jetties when the fire broke out. A 45’ response boat from the Port Aransas Coast Guard station was launched, while a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew lifted off from Corpus Christi.
The barge B. No. 255 on fire three miles from the Port Aransas, Texas, jetties Oct. 20, 2017. Coast Guard photo.
A 1,000-yard safety zone was set up around the barge to control vessel traffic as the fire burned. The Port of Corpus Christi fireboat, firefighters from Port Aransas and other local agencies fought the fire, which was extinguished during the day. A watch was set by local firefighters to guard against re-ignition overnight into Saturday, while a unified command with the Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office and a representative for Bouchard continued to manage the incident.
A search continued into Friday night for the two missing crewmembers, the Coast Guard said. Some 2,000’ of pollution booms were set to guard against any spill of the133,000 bbls. of crude oil the barge carried inbound to Corpus Christi. Another 6,000’ of boom were staged on scene if needed to protect environmentally sensitive areas.
The entrance and jetty channels leading to the Corpus Christi ship channel from Harbor Island to offshore were closed to prevent any spread of discharged oil into the port and to “safely facilitate cleanup operations,” Coast Guard officials said Friday night. The Lydia Ann channel and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway remained open, with the 1,000-yard safety zone remaining in effect around the barge.
Coast Guard Capt. Jason Smith, the Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi acting sector commander, credited the actions of local responders to the fire. “We are very appreciative to the Aransas-Corpus Christi Pilot Association, Port of Corpus Christi, and maritime community who have supported the efforts to extinguish the fire, contain the discharge and search for the missing crewmembers,” said Smith.
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Coast Guard responds to barge fire near Port Aransas, Texas
Oct 20th, 2017
Coast Guard responds to barge on fire approximately three miles from Port Aransas, Texas, jetties Oct. 20, 2017. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Coast Guard is responding to a vessel that caught fire Friday morning three miles off the jetties of Port Aransas, Texas.
At 4:35 a.m., Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi watchstanders received a mayday from the captain of the tug vessel Buster Bouchard over Channel 16 who reported that the barge B255 attached to his tug was on fire and two crewmembers were unaccounted for.
A Coast Guard Station Port Aransas 45-foot Response Boat–Medium, and a Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew departed to search for the missing crewmembers.
A unified command consisting of the Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office and a representative from Gallagher, who is representing Bouchard Transportation who owns the barge, has been set up to manage the incident.
The Port of Corpus Christi’s fireboat along with other local assets are on scene and attempting to extinguish the fire.
The Coast Guard has established a 1,000 yard safety zone and is working with the pilots and harbor master to control vessel traffic in the area.
As a precautionary measure, air monitoring is being conducted. At this time, there is no indication of health risks to the public.
Pollution boom is being staged to protect the environment. The barge is loaded with approximately 133,000 barrels of crude oil. There are initial reports of some oil in the water.
“In this situation, safety is paramount,” said Capt. Jason Smith, the Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi acting sector commander. “Our first objective is to find the missing crewmembers, and our immediate second objective is pollution response and ensuring navigational safety in the affected area.”