Southwest Pass Closes for Lee III Recovery

The U.S. Coast Guard was scheduled to close the Mississippi River's Southwest Pass for approximately eight to 10 hours on February 29, for recovery and salvage of the Lee III. A safety zone spanning the entire width and length of the pass will be enforced. The crane barges Lilli Bisso and Cappy Bisso are scheduled to lift the Lee III onto a deck barge and gently lift it to the surface where operations to remove the remaining fuel will commence. Pollution response teams will be on scene to prevent any pollution from entering the water. Once the Lee III is secured, on-scene personnel plan to search the vessel for any remaining crewmembers missing since Feb. 21.