Tanker Freed Near Mouth of Mississippi
A 635-foot Exxon tanker carrying gasoline and jet fuel ran aground Friday near the mouth of the Mississippi River, but company officials said no spill was reported and the ship was freed by mid-afternoon.
“She went aground on soft mud about 8 a.m.,” Exxon spokeswoman Susan Reeves said. “There was no damage to her hull, no cargo spilled and no injuries.”
Reeves said the Exxon Wilmington was en route from Baton Rouge to New Jersey at the time of the accident.
A Coast Guard spokesman said the ship was freed with the help of tugboats. He said it would travel about 20 miles downriver, where it would be inspected before continuing its voyage into the Gulf of Mexico.
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