One person is missing and 7 others have been injured in an oil rig platform explosion on Lake Pontchartrain near Kenner, Louisiana. Locals reported an explosion that sounded like a “sonic boom” at approximately 7:20 p.m. on October 15th. Sector New Orleans was alerted and launched a Coast Guard Station New…
Maritime Injury Law Blog
Google and Rolls-Royce Partner to Build Autonomous Vessels
At the Google Cloud Summit in Stockholm, Sweden, Rolls-Royce announced that it will be applying Google’s Cloud Machine Learning Engine to power autonomous ships. The technology will be used to detect, identify, and track surface objects that vessels encounter while at sea to make the maritime industry safer and more…
Jones Act Waiver Extended
The Jones Act Waiver that we reported on last week, has been extended through September 22, 2017 at the recommendation of the Departments of Defense and Energy. The waiver was initially signed on September 8, 2017 by the Department of Homeland Security. Severe disruptions in the fuel supply system resulted…
Jones Act Waiver Issued by Homeland Security
Two U.S. government agencies have waived restrictions in an effort to rebuild infrastructure and respond to citizen needs in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The Environmental Protection Agency has extended a 38-state fuel emissions waiver for storm related supply distributions across the U.S. The emissions waiver will be…
New Aquaculture Permits on Hold in Washington State
A breach in a net pen was initially blamed on high tides and the eclipse. However, in a revised press release, Cooke Aquaculture no longer listed the eclipse as a possible cause, but rather “Exceptionally high tides and currents caused damage to a salmon farm that has been in operation…
Teen Involved with Sailing Class in Critical Condition After Boating Mishap off Magnuson Park
The Seattle Fire Department was called to Magnuson Park this morning after receiving word that a 17-year-old boy had gone underwater. Spokeswoman Kristin Tinsley reported that a water rescue team arrived at the 7800 block of 62nd Avenue Northeast around 9:33 am. Tinsley said that the teen had been taking…
Atlantic Salmon Net Pen Spill, Solar Eclipse Suspected
If you happen to be fishing in the south Bellingham Bay area near Cypress Island today, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife would like your help cleaning up a large Atlantic salmon spill. A net pen which held approximately 305,000 Atlantic salmon, broke over the weekend, releasing thousands of…
Search Continues for Bristol Bay Crewman Who Went Overboard in Ugashik
The U.S. Coast Guard is still searching for a fisherman who went missing after going overboard in Ugashik Bay. Petty Officer Bill Colclough says the vessel Lady Colleen reported just after 12:00 a.m. Thursday that a crewman had gone overboard. “The person was observed falling into the water wearing dark green rain…
Scuba Diver Who Died in Hood Canal Identified
The Mason County Coroner’s office have released the name of a scuba diver who died this past Saturday in Washington state’s Hood Canal. Joshua Michael Parke of The Balles, Oregon, was on a training dive in the Sund Rock Conservation area near Hoodsport, Washington. Officials say that Parke, age 36,…
Wreckage of Seattle-Based Crab Boat F/V DESTINATION Discovered in the Bering Sea
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Research Vessel has just located the wreck of the missing F/V DESTINATION that sank in the Bering Sea this past February. The vessel and its six crew members were tragically lost in the capsize. On the cold morning of Saturday, February 11, 2017, crew…