The United States Coast Guard and multiple Good Samaritan vessels are assisting in rescue efforts after a 265-foot commercial lift boat capsized just south Grand Isle, La., in the Gulf of Mexico.
Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Jonathan Lally told NPR there are conflicting reports that additional vessels may also be in distress but that the initial call came in at 4:30 p.m. local time. That triggered an Urgent Marine Information, which launched the emergency rescue effort.
"Coast Guard and multiple good Samaritan vessels are on scene about 8 miles south of Grand Isle," Lally said.
It is unclear how many people were on the lift boat at the time but he said the Coast Guard is searching the water for victims.
"We're still trying to get the actual number of people who were on the boat," Lally said.
He explained a "microburst of severe weather" may have caused the craft to flip over.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Dickinson, based in Houston, told NPR a twin-engine 144 'Ocean Sentry' plane from Corpus Christi, Texas, was sent to aid in the search, but helicopters from Houston were outo because of the high winds.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for all of southeastern Louisiana from noon on Tuesday through Thursday, due to the potential for heavy rainfall.
"Do not enter or cross flowing water or water of unknown depth," the service said.
The NWS also issued a wind advisory, cautioning residents to prepare for gusts up to 45 mph from Tuesday through 3 a.m. on Wednesday.
"Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result," the agency said.
This is a developing story. Some things reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.
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