Two men went missing, after the forward section of a barge they were on exploded and caught fire Friday morning, three miles off Port Aransas, Texas,the US Coast Guard informed.
Namely, in the early hours of Friday, 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.
The Coast Guard completed a search for the two unaccounted crewmembers on Friday and Saturday, but announced suspension of search on Sunday.
Meanwhile, multiple oil discharge recovery and USCG assets are still on scene in the vicinity of the barge. Discharged oil made minimal shoreline impact on Mustang Island.
Further, wildlife restoration specialists coordinated response efforts to minimize the impacts to wildlife observed along the Island.
“We want to convey our deepest condolences to the families of the two crewmembers,” said Capt. Tony Hahn, sector commander of Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi. “Our crews performed an exhaustive search and will continue to remain vigilant and monitor the area closely.”
