Boats Pulled off Oil Cleanup after Crews Get Ill

The U.S. Coast Guard has pulled commercial fishing boats from oil cleanup efforts in Breton Sound off the Louisiana coast after several people became ill.

According to CBS affiliate WWL in New Orleans, seven people were admitted into the West Jefferson Medical Center for treatment.

The Coast Guard says crew members on three vessels reported nausea, dizziness, headaches and chest pains Wednesday afternoon. One person needed to be airlifted to the hospital.

Special Section: Disaster in the Gulf
Live Underwater Video of Leak
Arctic Drilling Suspended
Can BP Be Trusted in Light of Past Violations?

Taslin Alfonso, a hospital spokesman, said the workers believe the chemical dispersant used to break up the oil spill caused their symptoms, but doctors won't know for sure until their examinations are complete, according to WWL.

"This is the first time that we've gotten patients complaining of something related to the oil spill, so at this time we're just trying to assess the patients and making them safe," Alfonso said.

The Coast Guard told all 125 commercial vessels that were helping clean up spilled oil to return to shore. Medical workers evaluated the crew members as a precaution.

Breton Sound is about 30 miles southeast of New Orleans.