Two dead, two others missing after dredger catches fire in Corpus Christi, Texas

Two people are confirmed dead while another two have gone missing after a dredger caught fire at the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas on Friday, August 21.

Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi watchstanders were notified at 08:12 local time with reports from witnesses describing a fire on the dredger Waymon L. Boyd in the Port of Corpus Christi.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew was launched to the scene, hoisted two injured crewmembers from the burning vessel, and transferred them to Corpus Christi Medical Center-Bay Area.

Another helicopter crew, two response boat-medium boat crews, and boat crews from the coast guard cutters Chinook and Manta later arrived at the scene to locate additional survivors while tugs and other vessels from the port’s own police and firefighting departments worked to extinguish the blaze.

The fire was extinguished at approximately 22:00 on Friday, after which the vessel broke apart and sank.

The bodies of two crewmembers who were initially reported as missing were recovered at approximately 02:00 and 10:45, respectively, on Saturday, August 22.

The search for the two other missing crewmembers from Waymon L. Boyd had been ordered suspended by the coast guard by 21:35 on Saturday.