UPDATE — On Thursday, the USCG announced search efforts for the missing crew member had ended at noon.
The Coast Guard reports rescue teams searched more than 100 miles of the Lower Mississippi River for roughly 32 hours.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WGNO) — Rescue crews responded to a scene near Baton Rouge after a person reportedly fell off a large river steamboat.
The Coast Guard announced emergency teams were dispatched near mile marker 229 on the Mississippi River in the early Wednesday morning hours.
A call received around 2 a.m. reported a crew member aboard the American Queen had fallen overboard and that a boat crew was working to rescue the victim. Upon arriving, the Coast Guard then closed off the river from mile markers 230 to 224 for an advanced search.
Several agencies assisted in the mission, including:
- Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter
- Coast Guard Station New Orleans 29-foot Response Boat-Small
- Coast Guard Cutter Kickapoo
- East Baton Rouge Sheriff marine unit
- Louisiana State University Campus police for shoreline search
As of Wednesday evening, there was no word that the crew member had been recovered from the water.
This is a developing story. WGNO will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
