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:
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.
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 helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from U.S. Coast Guard Station Bellingham, and the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter ADELIE to assist the distressed vessel.
The survivor and the dog made it safely to the shores of Henry Island on the life raft.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has completed an inquiry into the 2022 sinking of the F/V HOTSPUR near Prince of Wales Island. The report concludes that an unnoticed leak in an unoccupied area likely caused the vessel to lose stability, capsize, and sink near Nunez Rocks. Bilge alarms failed to sound or alert crew members that there was flooding below deck, which led to the capsizing of the 53-foot purse seiner.
On August 2, 2022, at about 7:35 PM, the captain and senior deckhand saw that the F/V HOTSPUR was listing to the port side while crossing the Clarence Strait. The captain went below to inspect the bilges and the engine room. He reported that everything appeared normal. To correct the listing of the vessel, the captain initiated a fuel transfer from a port-side tank to a starboard day tank. Despite his efforts, the listing persisted, and the senior deckhand noticed water spilling onto the rear deck from the port quarter.
The captain directed the senior deckhand to notify the other crewmembers to ready the life raft for abandoning ship. The captain transmitted a distress announcement via VHF radio. Nearby F/V LADY KODIAK and THE CODFATHER II heeded the call and altered their course to provide assistance.
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 alerted by West Sound Marina about the rapidly sinking vessel near the pier in roughly 30 feet of water, and a visible sheen was observed.
Coast Guard Pollution Responders promptly informed IOSA, who arrived at the scene and worked with the marina to deploy booms and absorbents. As a precautionary measure, IOSA brought several trailers loaded with additional boom supplies. The Washington Department of Ecology also responded to support IOSA’s efforts. Throughout the weekend, IOSA monitored the sinking vessel.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three people on Monday morning, May 29th, after their vessel sank in the waters off Cape Arago beach, about 15 miles southwest of Coos Bay.
At about 8 a.m. the U. S. Coast Guard received a distress call reporting that a fishing boat was taking on water. A 47-foot motor lifeboat and a helicopter launched from Coos Bay and North Bend. Responders were at the scene within 30 minutes, where they found three people in the water, all wearing life jackets.
A U.S. Coast Guard rescuer was lowered onto the motor lifeboat and helped administer first aid to the three people. Victims showed signs of hypothermia and were treated by first responders.
In August of 2020, multiple U.S. Coast Guard units received distress calls stating that the F/V ARCTIC FOX II, a 66-foot commercial fishing boat, had begun taking on water. The vessel was located about 85 miles off Cape Flattery, Washington at the time of trouble.
The three crewmembers aboard were getting ready to abandon ship and reported that they were all wearing survival suits. Once on the scene, the U.S. Coast Guard aircrew immediately spotted a lifeboat. One survivor was aboard and hoisted into the helicopter. Tragically, the other two crewmembers did not survive. The fishermen were all wearing survival suits; however it was later reported that the suits were old, in poor repair, and the seams were cracked. The suits that were meant to save lives were not watertight.
This tragic accident highlights the need for all vessel owners, masters, and captains to test the functionality of immersion suits stored on their vessels. Under federal law, it is the duty of the person in charge of the vessel to make sure all lifesaving gear is properly maintained and inspected before each voyage.
U.S. Coast Guard Watchstanders at the Thirteenth District in Seattle received an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) transmission from the F/V ETHEL MAY on Sunday, February 5th at approximately 7:30 p.m. The 46-foot crabbing vessel was near the Willapa Bay entrance at the time of the distress transmission.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River in Warrenton, Oregon, were also notified that the wife of one of the men aboard the vessel called 911 to report an emergency.
U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Astoria immediately launched a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew and U.S. Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor launched a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat and crew.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 13 people from a sinking fishing vessel on Friday, October 28th after the vessel collided with a container ship. The 115-foot F/V TREMONT was about 60 miles off the coast of Virginia, just southeast of Chincoteague at the time of the accident.
Watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Virginia received a mayday call at about 2 a.m. from the F/V TREMONT, stating that they were sinking after colliding with the 1000-foot Panamanian-flagged C/V MSC RITA. It was reported that there were 13 people aboard the fishing vessel, and that they were abandoning ship.
An urgent marine information broadcast was issued to all area vessels, and watchstanders issued the launch of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew, a U.S. Coast Guard Station Chincoteague Motor Life Boat, then diverted the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Rollin Fritch. Two additional aircrafts from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City in North Carolina were also dispatched.
The coordinated response effort continues after the sinking of the F/V ALEUTIAN ISLE just west of San Juan Island, Washington, on Saturday, August 13th. Groups participating in the response include the U.S. Coast Guard, the San Juan Office of Emergency Management, the Swinomish Tribe, and the Washington State Department of Ecology.
Overhead drone and helicopter footage has confirmed that the diesel fuel sheen appears to have dissipated. Beaches along the spill area have also been patrolled, and as of today no fuel spots or sheens have been located along the shore.
“I am proud of the interagency partnership and collaboration at all levels to respond to this pollution threat and minimize environmental impacts,” said Cmdr. Jon Ladyga, Federal on Scene Coordinator. “While optimistic about the on-water and shoreline assessments, we recognize that critical work remains”
Maritime Injury Law Blog