The Coast Guard was responding Sunday to three vessels that sunk on the Illinois River near Hardin, Illinois. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River received a report Friday of three towboats and a deck barge that were tied together and began taking on water at mile marker 21 on the Illinois River. Sector Upper Mississippi River dispatched personnel to work with the tugboat company, which the Coast Guard release did not name to minimize potential environment impact. Coast Guard officials conducted 11 miles of shoreline assessment and oversaw 1,500 feet of oil and fuel absorbing boom deployment to create a collection point to contain any discharge. Scott Stoermer, commander of Sector Upper Mississippi River.