Cameron Fishing Pier damaged

[Ray]

The Jetty Fishing Pier in Cameron is closed until further notice after being hit by a barge on Sunday. OEP Director Eddie Benoit said that around 1 p.m. on Sunday, Apr. 3, a tug belonging to Enterprise Marine of Houma was pulling a single barge in the Calcasieu Ship Channel. The tug stopped to reposition itself to push the barge, and in the process the barge "got away" and struck the pier just south of the entrance ramp. Seventeen people were fishing on the pier at the time. Nine were able to get off, but eight were stranded on the south end. A Pilot boat in the area was able to remove the stranded people. There were no injuries. Approximately 70 feet of the pier was damaged. One 30 foot section of the pier is completely missing; another 30 foot section is badly damaged. There may be other structural damage that is not visible. Even though the pier is closed, the RV Park, birding platform, and pavilion are still open. Brave fishermen can still try their luck from the jetty rocks. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which has a monitoring station at the intersection of the pier and the ramp, has been notified. The Coast Guard and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries were also notified. The double hulled barge was carrying 19,000 barrels of crude oil, but there were no leaks.