Four Rescued and One Dead in Towboat Capsizing Incident

On Friday, the 55-foot towboat Miss Peggy capsized and sank in the Houston Ship Channel near the Lynchburg Ferry crossing, resulting in the tragic death of one crewmember. Fortunately, several Good Samaritan boats were able to rescue four survivors from the water. The U.S. Coast Guard, along with the Harris County Sheriff’s Department and the Houston Police, coordinated a search effort to locate the missing crewmember, eventually recovering the deceased individual after more than 30 hours of searching.

Coast Guard Commander Michael Cortese commended the quick actions of the Good Samaritans who assisted in the rescue of the survivors. The towboat was salvaged over the weekend after it was successfully raised to the surface and righted using a large crane barge. An investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing, with initial reports suggesting a possible collision with a 63,000 dwt merchant bulker at the time of the incident. As of Monday, the merchant vessel involved in the potential collision was still moored at a coal terminal in Houston.

The Miss Peggy, a 55-foot inland towboat built in 1976, is operated by a company on the Houston Ship Channel. The tragic event has prompted a closer look at safety measures and potential causes of the accident, as authorities work to determine the circumstances leading up to the capsizing and sinking of the towboat in the busy waterway.

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