The Unified Command continues to respond to a sunken vessel at mile marker 9.7 on the Upper Mississippi River near Cairo, Illinois.

An unknown amount of diesel was discharged from the vessel, which has been contained with containment boom.

Unified Command continues sunken vessel response

Divers have successfully secured the source of the diesel fuel discharge.

Water and shoreline assessments have been conducted and crews observed no further signs of pollution.

There are currently no restrictions to commercial or recreational vessel traffic due to the incident.

The UC consists of the Coast Guard, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and Tennessee Valley Towing.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Paducah, Kentucky, were notified at approximately midnight of the towing vessel Eric Haney sinking on the right descending bank in the Upper Mississippi River. The vessel has approximately 79,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 1,600 gallons of lube oil onboard.

There were nine people aboard the towing vessel who evacuated the ship before it sank with no reports of injuries.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.