One dead, two missing after tanker collides with fishing boat in Galveston, Texas

A collision between a chemical tanker and a fishing vessel in heavy fog in the waters of Galveston Bay, Texas, has left one person dead while another two have gone missing.

The incident occurred at around 15:30 local time on Tuesday, January 14, when the Odfjell-owned tanker Bow Fortune, which was inbound and under pilotage as the first vessel in a convoy, struck the 24-metre fishing boat Pappy’s Pride.

The fishing boat capsized and sank and its entire crew of four ended up in the water immediately following the collision.

The crews of a Good Samaritan vessel and a US Coast Guard Response Boat-Medium that arrived at the scene to render assistance managed to pull two of the fishermen out of the water. Tragically, local news outlets have reported that one of the fishermen who had been pulled out of the water succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in hospital.

The search for the remaining two fishermen is ongoing as the coast guard and local authorities launch an investigation into the incident.

Odfjell confirms that Bow Fortune suffered no significant damage in the collision and that no pollution had stemmed from the ship, which has since moored in Galveston.

The company has pledged that it will fully support and contribute to the investigation being conducted by the local and federal authorities in Galveston.