TEXAS

One Dead, One Missing in Collision Between Tanker and Passenger Boat

Port of Corpus Christi (upper left) and Aransas Pass (center right) (NASA)

PUBLISHED JUL 14, 2024 9:57 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

On Saturday morning, a tanker struck a small charter boat in a shipping channel in Port Aransas, Texas, killing one person and leaving one missing.

At about 0530 hours on Saturday, a good Samaritan called Sector Corpus Christi on Channel 16 to report a collision between a passenger boat and a commercial vessel in Port Aransas Pass. There were four people aboard the boat, and the small vessel partially sank. 

A good Samaritan vessel and the pilot boat for Port Aransas pulled two survivors from the water and recovered the body of one victim.

Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, the Coast Guard searched about 125 square miles of area using both air and surface assets. State and local first responders aided in the search, including Texas Parks & Wildlife, Aransas Pass Police, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Port of Corpus Christi's police department. Local boaters also assisted, and the ship channel was temporarily closed so that the search could be conducted safely.  

On Sunday afternoon, after 44 hours of searching, the U.S. Coast Guard called off its SAR operation for the missing passenger. The names of the vessels involved, the survivors and the victims were not released. An investigation into the cause of the collision is under way.

"The Port remains committed to ensuring the safety of our waterways and will continue . . . to evaluate any additional actions that could be taken to increase safety and security," Port of Corpus Christi told local media in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragic accident."