37 Rescued After Fleeing Offshore Drill Rig

Thirty-seven drilling rig workers who evacuated in two small escape capsules to avoid a possible blowout in the Gulf of Mexico were pulled to safety Monday in up to 15-foot waves.

The crew left the offshore rig Oceanic Triton 4, about 70 miles south of Galveston Island, shortly before midnight Sunday because of the danger of a natural-gas explosion, Coast Guard Chief Michael Martin said.

Initial reports indicated that there was a blowout and that natural gas escaped the rig, but officials Monday said there had been no blowout, although pressure was high on the rig when the men left.

The capsules, which were bouncing freely on the waves, were retrieved by two oil-service company boats at midday Monday, said Coast Guard spokesman Mark Kennedy of Houston. He said the men were taken to a nearby oil rig, also owned by Western Oceanic of Houston, to wait out the rough weather. The firm declined comment.