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Two boats collide in Plaquemines Parish waterway, Coast Guard says

A 40-foot commercial boat and a 24-foot bay boat hit, sending four people into the water near Baptiste Collette Bayou

NEW ORLEANS — A two-boat crash on Saturday morning threw a group of people into a channel of the Mississippi River near Boothville-Venice, the Coast Guard said. 

According to Coast Guard officials, a 24-foot bay boat and a 40-foot commercial deck boat were sailing near Baptiste Collette Bayou, a channel of the river just north of Venice, around 10:45 a.m. when they apparently collided.

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The crash sunk the smaller boat and launched its four passengers into the water. The eight-person crew of the deck boat then threw them life jackets and brought them aboard as a Coast Guard boatcrew arrived shortly after, officials said.

The rescue crew took the four passengers of the bay boat to Ochsner Medical Center in Terrytown. No major injuries were reported. 

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The 24-foot boat is now half sunken in Baptiste Collete Bayou awaiting salvage. 

“The Coast Guard reminds all mariners to always wear a life jacket when operating on the water,” said Cdr. Zachary Ford, Sector New Orleans. 

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Officials said the cause of the collision is still under investigation. 

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