US Coast Guard responds to natural gas pipeline explosion at Lake Lery, Louisiana; Watch

On September 8, a massive fire broke out on the surface of Lake Lery in Louisiana, US after a barge apparently broke loose and collided with a natural gas pipeline. An underwater pipeline has been damaged; the sheriff's office and fire departments are on the site, and the Coast Guard has been alerted, said Patrick Courreges, spokesman for the state department of natural resources.

There have been no reports of injuries, fatalities, or environmental damage as of yet, the US Coast Guard noted in a press release. The statement further added that US Coast Guard is responding to the explosion of a natural gas pipeline in Lake Lery, Louisiana.

Further, being an interstate pipeline, the damaged pipeline is governed by federal jurisdiction. According to Patrick Courreges the pipeline is owned by High Point. 

US coast guard's response to boat disaster near Boca Chita Key

Meanwhile, on the same day, the US Coast Guard released additional information about their response to a boat disaster near Boca Chita Key that killed an adolescent girl and injured many others over the weekend According to a report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there were 14 passengers aboard the 29-foot boat when it collided with a channel marker in the Intracoastal waterway near the southern end of Cutter Bank in Miami-Dade County at approximately 6:30 pm (local time) on September 4.

However, according to Coast Guard representatives, their crew was notified of the collision on September 8 at 6:50 p.m. (local time), or roughly 20 minutes later. Additionally, according to officials, the initial call for assistance was made on a cell phone rather than a marine VHF radio.

According to the Coast Guard timeline, good Samaritans were the first to respond and assist the 14 persons who were all thrown from the boat. One of the passengers on the boat, Luciana "Lucy" Fernandez, a senior at Lourdes Academy, died as a result of her injuries in the disaster. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the collision and has stated that alcohol is not a role.

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