Six barges broke broke free from an uninspected towing vessel Tuesday night after a collision with a concrete barrier on the Intracoastal Waterway near Houma. There were no reports of injuries or pollution as a result of the accident, but the waterway was closed while the U.S. Coast Guard worked to secure the barges.
In a statement released Wednesday morning, Coast Guard Sector New Orleans said that it received a report at 8:10 p.m. Tuesday that the Native Dancer’s lead starboard barge struck a concrete barrier.
The statement said that three of the six barges had been secured. The Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit in Houma was on the scene investigating the accident, which occurred near mile marker 57.5.
The Louisiana maritime attorneys at Lambert Zainey have represented maritime workers injured on barges and other vessels for more than 40 years.