The following is the text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — The Coast Guard and local agencies re-commenced response efforts for a sunken tow vessel on the Lower Mississippi River near Memphis on Wednesday.
A Unified Command has been established consisting of U.S. Coast Guard, Western Rivers Boat Management and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
The Mississippi River is open to one-way traffic between mile markers 726 to 728.
A salvage plan has been reviewed to safely remove the sunken tow vessel. Ongoing preparations are currently in place.
Assets involved in the William Strait sinking:
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientific support coordinator
• Coast Guard 25-foot response boat-small crew
• Memphis Police Department
• Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
• Budwine & Associates
• McKinney Salvage and Heavy Lift
• Big River Shipbuilders and Salvage Inc.
• Environmental Safety and Health (ES&H)
“The Coast Guard is working very closely with other agencies to manage the risk associated with the recovery of the sunken vessel and minimize pollution in the process,” said Capt. Timothy Wendt, commander, Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River.
The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.
PREVIOUS REPORT
(NEW ORLEANS) (Dec. 14) — The Coast Guard and local agencies are responding to a collision between two towing vessels on the Lower Mississippi River near Memphis on Monday afternoon.
Watch standers with Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River command center received a notification of a collision between the towing vessels Margaret Ann and William Strait at mile marker 727 on the Lower Mississippi River. William Straight sank in 20 feet of water.
A Coast Guard 25-foot small boat crew from the Sector Lower Mississippi River along with an HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed-wing aircraft from Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala., and local pollution response agencies are on scene responding.
A safety zone has been established from mile markers 726 to 728.
The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.
