The 65 foot fishing vessel CAPTAIN JOHN sank Sunday night 30 miles west of La Push. Five crewmen aboard the vessel are reported safe. The vessel sent a distress call to the Coast Guard at 2:45 p.m. Sunday afternoon indicating the vessel was flooding and in danger of sinking. The…
Maritime Injury Law Blog
Crab Boat EAGLE III Hits Coos Bay Jetty; Three Fishermen Feared Dead
Two fishermen are missing and one is confirmed dead in an Oregon crab boat accident. An EPIRB signal was received late Tuesday night alerting the Coast Guard that the EAGLE III was in trouble. The forty foot vessel had collided with the north jetty at Coos Bay and broken apart. …
Four men rescued as fishing vessel KUPREANOF sank near Lituya Bay, Southeast Alaska
As the F/V KUPREANOF sank in stormy seas on June 10 near Lituya Bay in Southeast Alaska, a Sitka Coast Guard helicopter crew plucked the ship’s four crewmembers out of the water and flew them to the safety of Sitka emergency services. That morning, the captain of the 73-foot F/V…
F/V SEA BEAST Sinks Off La Push, WA – Master Dies, 3 Crewmembers Rescued
At 3 am on May 3, 2015, the Coast Guard received a May Day call from Kenneth Martin, Master of the 52-foot F/V SEA BEAST. Martin told them that the stern was taking on water and the boat was sinking approximately 14 miles offshore of La Push, WA. Three crewmen…
Fishing Vessel NORTHERN PRIDE Catches Fire Off of Kodiak Island, Alaska – Three Crewmembers Rescued
Crew from the 82-foot F/V NORTHERN PRIDE called out a Mayday around 2 pm on April 21, 2015 and abandoned ship due to a fire in the engine room. The Good Samaritan F/V DANCER relayed the Mayday to the Coast Guard who sent a Kodiak, Alaska Jayhawk helicopter crew to…
Electrical Fire on Passenger Ferry VICTORIA CLIPPER During Trip from Victoria BC to Seattle
An electrical fire broke out onboard the passenger ferry VICTORIA CLIPPER on April 16, 2015 while en route from Victoria BC to Seattle, WA. VICTORIA CLIPPER crew called the Coast Guard around 7:15 pm to report the fire in a forward space housing the anchor windlass. The ferry was located…
Voyages of Two WA Fishing Vessels Terminated for Inadequate Safety Equipment
In the space of three days, the WA Coast Guard recently terminated the voyages of two fishing vessels: The FV DAYBREAK in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and a state-registered fishing vessel near Anacortes. The F/V DAYBREAK lacked a life raft, visual distress signals, and enough survival suits. The…
Lessons Learned from Marine Accident Investigations – NTSB Safer Seas 2014 Report
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its “Safer Seas 2014: Lessons Learned from Marine Accident Investigations” report on April 1, 2015. 23 major marine accidents from many U.S. maritime regions are summarized and lessons are analyzed from each accident. Issues in the 43-page report focus on understanding vessel…
Tugboat SEA BEAR Sinks off Fire Island, New York: One Dies, Three Rescued
On March 14, 2015, a crew member on the 65′, 1000 horsepower tugboat SEA BEAR radioed for help on its way back home from the Fire Island area to New York and said the ship was taking on water and sinking. When the Long Island Coast Guard boat crew sped…
Cause of Death of Crew Member Aboard F/V ALASKA DREAM Still Unknown
Sean O’Callahan, 29, was found deceased in his bunk aboard the F/V ALASKA DREAM as it headed out to fishing grounds off of Kodiak Island on February 28, 2015. The boat turned around when O’Callahan’s body was found, and Alaska State Troopers were notified of his death. Although nothing has…