The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the collision between a cargo ship and a tugboat that put five crew members in the Mississippi River near Luling Sunday night.
The tugboat, the Patrick J. Studdert, sank after the collision, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony Randisi.
The five crew members were rescued by other boats in the area, authorities said. They had made it safely out of the water by the time the Coast Guard was notified of the crash, Randisi said. They were taken to an area hospital for evaluation and released. No other details were available about their conditions.
The Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources conducted flyovers of the area Monday and detected a silvery diesel sheen on the river, according to the agency and the Coast Guard. Crews put out containment booms.
The other vessel involved was a bulk carrier called the Clara B., according to Randisi. All crew members from the cargo ship were accounted for, St. Charles Parish government officials said.
That ship did not sink, but will stay in the New Orleans area while the Coast Guard investigates the collision.
The collision occurred about 7:39 p.m. near mile marker 123, just upriver from the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge, according to St. Charles Parish President Matt Jewell. The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office received reports that the cargo ship was traveling upriver and hit the tugboat, according to the authorities.
