One body recovered, two spotted in Mississippi River wreck

[Ediacara]

One body recovered, two spotted in river wreck
Mississippi shipping channel stays closed until Wednesday at least

Tuesday February 24, 2004

By Jaquetta White
and Keith Darce%%par%%Business writers

Divers recovered the body of one crew member Monday from the wheelhouse of the sunken supply ship M/V Lee III in the Mississippi River. Two other bodies were spotted and hope was given up that two other crewmen would be found alive, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The offshore supply vessel sank Saturday about 5:30 a.m. after colliding with a cargo container ship in Southwest Pass near the mouth of the river, blocking access for nearly 100 ships through the world's biggest port system. The channel will not open until Wednesday at the earliest, said Gary LaGrange, Port of New Orleans executive director and chief executive officer.

The container vessel ZIM Mexico III, 534 feet long, was traveling upriver and collided with the Lee III, just 166 feet long. The Lee quickly sank. The ZIM Mexico was lightly damaged and is moored on the river.

More at the New Orleans Times-Picayune