The U.S. Coast Guard District 17 headquarters announced that the next of kin of the five individuals missing after the sinking of the F/V WIND WALKER have been notified. The agency also released the names of the missing crew members. GoFundMe accounts have been established for all five grieving families:
The icy waters off Alaska proved unforgiving early Monday morning as a tragic chapter unfolded. The F/V WIND WALKER, a 50-foot commercial vessel, capsized near Point Couverden, southwest of Juneau, leaving five crew members unaccounted for and a community dealing with grief and unanswered questions.
The U.S. Coast Guard first received a distress call at 12:10 a.m. on Sunday, December 1st, 2024. The urgent Mayday message conveyed a grim situation, as the vessel was overturning amid heavy snow, 60 mph winds, and six-foot seas. Attempts to gather more details were met with silence. Shortly after the call, an emergency beacon confirmed the distress signal from the waters of the Icy Strait.
The U.S. Coast Guard launched a large-scale search and rescue operation involving an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, a 45-foot response boat, and additional resources. Crews braved harsh conditions and searched over 108 square nautical miles. Despite their efforts, no sign of the crew was found. The search was suspended Monday morning, pending new information.
Five years have passed since the tragic loss of the F/V SCANDIES ROSE, and seven years since the sinking of the F/V DESTINATION. Both vessels were burdened with crab pots that exceeded the estimated weights in their stability reports, and both vessels capsized during severe weather conditions. The attorneys at Stacey and Jacobsen, PLLC have been closely involved in these tragic cases, representing both the two surviving crew members of the F/V SCANDIES ROSE and the wife and three children of a deceased crew member from the F/V DESTINATION.
Despite a 2010 congressional mandate for stability training, the U.S. Coast Guard has yet to implement the requirement. Currently, there is no formal process in place for reviewing stability calculations for non-processor crab vessels or the vast majority of fishing vessels operating in Alaska.
A stability report for crab boats, like those used in the fishing industry, is a crucial safety document that details how a vessel behaves in various loading conditions, ensuring that it remains stable and safe in the water.
The U.S. Coast Guard issued a safety alert following a deadly explosion aboard the F/V KIM THU, an uninspected commercial fishing vessel, in Hawaii on April 26, 2024. In a recent update, U.S. Coast Guard officials provided further details about the blast, while the Department of Law Enforcement confirmed that the F/V KIM THU was a foreign long-line fishing vessel. Investigations into the cause of the explosion are ongoing.
The incident occurred while the boat was moored at Pier 36 for maintenance. The explosion, which originated from the marine diesel fuel tank, resulted in the death of one crew member and left five others injured.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the F/V KIM THU failed to comply with the “Hot Works” permit guidelines issued by the State Department of Transportation. These regulations govern maintenance activities on water tank hatches, engine room stairs, and spotlights. According to witnesses, welding was conducted on a fuel tank vent pipe that had not been certified as gas-free or deemed “Safe for Hot Work” by a certified marine chemist, a clear violation of permit requirements.
The U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed plans to purchase a commercial icebreaker and deploy it in Juneau, Alaska, the agency announced on Wednesday, August 14, 2024. This decision follows an earlier preliminary announcement and comes just days after the HEALY, a 27-year-old icebreaker, was forced to abandon its Arctic mission due to an electrical fire.
Currently, the U.S. Coast Guard operates only two icebreakers. The HEALY’S sister ship, the POLAR STAR, is dedicated to maintaining sea lanes in Antarctica, which are crucial for resupplying American research stations. The U.S. Navy, notably, does not have any icebreakers in its fleet, leaving the U.S. Coast Guard as the sole operator of these essential vessels.
Alaska’s congressional delegation has long advocated for increased funding to allow the U.S. Coast Guard to expand its fleet of icebreakers, stressing the importance of these ships for both Arctic and Antarctic operations.
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, McKee became entangled in the mechanical gear below deck and was fatally injured.
Emergency responders from the Sitka Fire Department were dispatched to the scene and recovered McKee’s body. A good Samaritan vessel assisted by towing the LISA JEAN to protected waters, allowing troopers to conduct an investigation into the accident.
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 15″ x 24″ oil on canvas, and was selected from thirty-six submissions.
The thirty-six art pieces will be on exhibit at the Salmagundi Club, an art and cultural center located at 47 Fifth Avenue in New York, through July 26th, 2024. Additionally, twenty-eight works from previous collections will be on display, including pieces by and in honor of deceased COGAP artists C.R. “Bob” Bryant and Dick Kramer. The collection features artwork depicting search and rescue, marine environmental protection, patrols, and training exercises.
The exhibition is open to the public and can be viewed Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the exhibit is free. After the exhibition at the Salmagundi Club, the show will be on display at the Federal Hall National Memorial in lower Manhattan for two months.
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 another individual being thrown into the water.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, good Samaritans pulled a 71-year old, later identified as Gordon Paul of California, from the water. He was transported to a nearby boat launch at Papke’s Landing and taken to Petersburg Medical Center.
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 vessel to prevent pollution, while a dive team worked to plug vents and reduce the risk of further fuel discharge. A second layer of boom was deployed to minimize the chance of a fuel slick escaping. The vessel has a reported maximum capacity of 32,500 gallons of diesel. The U.S. Coast Guard has opened the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and contracted with Global Dive and Salvage, an oil spill response organization, to manage clean-up and response operations.
The F/V NORTH AMERICA was featured in Season 4 of the reality show Deadliest Catch. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
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 initial sighting of the fire came from a deckhand aboard a neighboring vessel. A Trident security guard was alerted, who in turn notified a Trident official. The official then alerted the four crewmembers who were sleeping onboard during the scheduled overhaul. Fortunately, all emerged unharmed from the incident.
The fire raged for six days until first responders finally declared it extinguished on April 14th. No pollution or injuries were reported from the incident. However, the F/V KODIAK ENTERPRISE, valued at an estimated $56.6 million, was declared a total loss.
Maritime Injury Law Blog