One Dead In Oil Barge Fire Off Port Aransas, Texas

The U.S. Coast Guard reported Friday that the oil barge B255 caught fire early on Friday at a position about three miles off the harbor entrance at Port Aransas, Texas. The barge was under tow by the ATB tug Buster Bouchard at the time of the incident. One of the tug’s eight crewmembers has been confirmed dead and one remains missing. The USCG has not released information on whether any of the survivors sustained injuries. At 0435, USCG Sector Corpus Christi received a mayday from the captain of the Bouchard, who reported that the barge attached to his tug was on fire and two crewmembers were unaccounted for.