Coast Guard Respond to Tug Accident

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a crewman missing from a tugboat that was sucked under a barge earlier this morning on the San Jacinto River. According to reporting sources, the 55-ft. tugboat Thoroughbred was sucked under a barge near the Southwestern Ship Yard/Kirby Marine Fleeting area one mile south of the I-10 overpass. Three crewmembers have been reported safe, however the fourth remains missing. A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Houston, and a rescue boat from Coast Guard Marine Safety Office Houston, are currently searching for the missing crewman. A second rescue boat from Station Galveston, Texas, as well as the Harris County Sheriff’s Department dive team have been asked to assist in the search. The river’s currents in that area have been reported as abnormally high due to the recent bad weather and rainfall in the Houston area. The Thoroughbred remains submerged and the Coast Guard will investigate the cause of the accident.