A 75-year-old Sitka fisherman died Monday, August 19, 2024, following a fatal accident in the engine room of his fishing vessel. Alaska State Troopers identified the victim as Barry McKee, who was fishing aboard his troller LISA JEAN near Salisbury Sound, approximately 20 miles northwest of Sitka. According to reports,…
We are delighted to report that Ken Stetz has been named the winner of the 2024 George Gray Award for Artistic Excellence at the Coast Guard Art Program (COGAP). The annual art acceptance ceremony was held on Thursday, July 11th, 2024. The award-winning piece, titled “Absorbing the Roll,” is a…
It is with great sadness that we report the tragic incident that unfolded after a collision between the 58-foot F/V VIS and a 20-foot skiff in Wrangell Narrows, Alaska. The collision claimed the life of a 73-year-old woman from California, as confirmed by the U.S. Coast Guard, and resulted in…
At approximately 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday May 14th, 2024, watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a call that the 91-foot F/V NORTH AMERICAN had partially sunk alongside a pier just east of the Ballard Bridge. The Seattle Fire Department responded and installed a containment boom around…
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued its findings on the fire incident that engulfed the F/V KODIAK ENTERPRISE on April 8, 2023. At around 3:00AM, a fire broke out aboard the commercial F/V KODIAK ENTERPRISE while it was docked at the Trident Seafoods facility in Tacoma, Washington. The…
Watchstanders at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound were notified around 6 a.m. that the 48-foot F/V CHIEF JOSEPH, was in distress and taking on water. Aboard the vessel was one individual and a dog. The pair evacuated the vessel using a life raft. Sector watchstanders dispatched an MH-65 Dolphin…
The U.S. Coast Guard is issuing a reminder to commercial fishermen to make certain that they have appropriate lifesaving gear on their vessels prior to leaving the dock. Several U.S. Coast Guard teams carried out inspections on commercial fishing vessels navigating the Chesapeake Bay area and its tributaries between December…
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, the Washington Department of Ecology, and the Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA) were deployed on Saturday, November 18th, 2023, to address the sinking of the 80-foot vessel EL CAPITAN at West Sound Marina on Orcas Island. Watchstanders at Sector Puget Sound command center were…
It is with great sadness that we report that a crew member aboard the F/V NORTHERN EAGLE lost his life while working at sea last week. Authorities suspect the cause of death was exposure to an ammonia leak aboard the vessel. According to U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class…
The U.S. Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the “catastrophic implosion” of the privately-owned underwater vessel TITAN. The vessel was destroyed while en route to the wreckage site of the TITANTIC, resulting in the tragic loss of all five individuals on board. On Sunday, June 18, 2023, the TITAN…