Search called off for 4 crewmen missing in Mississippi River
A search along the Mississippi River for four crew members missing from a Bangladeshi bulk carrier vessel since Monday has been called off with the men still unaccounted for, according to the United States Coast Guard (USCG).
The USCG had been searching the river around Belle Chasse in Louisiana for the missing crew members after they failed to arrive at their vessel at 11 p.m. on Monday for muster.
A USCG helicopter and small boat had been leading the search, with multiple local and state agencies also involved, the agency said.
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The Coast Guard called off the search late Tuesday having searched around 495 square miles over 12 hours and not come across the missing men. The area searched stretched from Luling, south as far as an area just north of Port Sulphur.
"At this time, the Coast Guard has suspended it search operations, pending any new information," USCG Heartland posted on X late Tuesday. "The incident is currently under investigation."
The missing men are crew members of the Meghna Adventure, a commercial bulk carrier with a Bangladesh flag.
The men are described as being of Bangladeshi nationality, ages 25, 29, 30 and 47. All the men are described as having dark hair and brown skin. The USCG has not disclosed the crew members' names.
The USCG had been notified of four people in the water on Monday at around 11 p.m., which led to the search operation.
"The decision to suspend a search is one that is taken with great care," a USCG spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
"The Coast Guard suspended active search efforts after the probable search area was saturated with multiple assets and resources. The search efforts also included multiple agencies conducting shoreline searches as well, however, we were unable to locate the missing individuals."
Belle Chasse is on the west bank of the Mississippi River. Bangladesh is a country South Asia.