The following is the text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:
(ST. LOUIS) (July 1) — The Coast Guard has reopened the Mississippi River near St. Louis, Mo., after the towing vessel Jim Marko sank earlier Tuesday.
Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River received a report that the towing vessel Jim Marko sank near the Stan Musial Memorial Bridge. The vessel sank with a reported 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel aboard. Pollution responders and marine investigators from Sector Upper Mississippi River responded in coordination with the St. Louis Fire Department, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and St. Louis Metro Air Support Unit.
Due to high water and rapid currents in the port of St. Louis, salvage of the vessel will be delayed until river conditions are safe to do so. The Coast Guard is working with the federal, state and local agencies to monitor the situation. A pollution response team is on standby.
The Jim Marko is a 70-foot, 140-ton towboat owned by Mike’s Marine and operated by Osage Marine, Inc. The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.
There were no injuries reported.
PREVIOUS REPORT
(ST. LOUIS) — Members of a towboat crew were rescued about noon today in downtown St. Louis after their vessel began to sink in the Mississippi River, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The towboat Miranda Page picked up the crew of the boat, owned by Osage Marine Co., and transferred them to another towboat. Authorities were using sonar to try to locate the sunken vessel.
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