An oil platform exploded and caught fire Thursday off the Louisiana coast, spreading a mile-long oil sheen into the Gulf of Mexico. Thirteen crew members were forced overboard and were rescued safely.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Bill Coklough said the sheen, about 100 feet wide, was spotted near the platform, 200 miles west of the site of BP’s massive spill.
The company that owns the platform, Houston-based Mariner Energy, did not know what caused the blast. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Mariner officials told him there were seven active production wells on the platform, and they were shut down shortly after the fire broke out.
Crew members were found floating in the water, huddled together in survival outfits called “gumby suits.”
“These guys had the presence of mind, used their training to get into those gumby suits before they entered the water,” Coast Guard spokesman Chief Petty Officer John Edwards said.
The crew was being flown to a hospital in Houma. Coast Guard Cmdr. Cheri Ben-Iesau said one person was injured, but the company said there were no injuries.
source: wral.com
