Body Of Missing Welder Recovered From Barge Explosion

VENICE, La. (AP) _ The body of a welder who was aboard a barge that burst into flames was recovered Sunday, the Coast Guard said. <br/><br/>The barge, which was holding about 17,000 gallons of crude oil,

Sunday, February 18th 2007, 5:02 pm

By: News On 6

VENICE, La. (AP) _ The body of a welder who was aboard a barge that burst into flames was recovered Sunday, the Coast Guard said.

The barge, which was holding about 17,000 gallons of crude oil, exploded and caught fire Saturday as the welder was working on board, authorities said. A second man was taken to a hospital and treated for second-degree burns, the Coast Guard said.

The identity of the victims had not been released Sunday.

The barge was moored with a crane barge, which caught fire and was destroyed. It took 4 1/2 hours to put out the fire on the tank barge, the Coast Guard said.

The barges were owned by Forest Oil Corp. of Lafayette. The company was cooperating with state officials and the Coast Guard in investigating, said Tim Savoy, vice president for operations support for Forest Oil.

The accident occurred at Garden Isle Bay near Pass a Loutre _ a waterway heading east through the delta at the tip of the Mississippi River.