Maritime Injury Law Blog

Published on: January 25, 2016

FISHING BOAT CAPTAIN JOHN SINKS; FIVE CREWMEN RESCUED AND SAFE

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 Coast Guard dispatched a Dolphin Helicopter and motor life boat to the scene. A Coast Guard rescue swimmer helped the crew into the CAPTAIN JOHN’s life raft, where the crew remained until the motor life boat arrived on the scene. Weather conditions were reported as mild with seas of 2-3 feet and winds of 15 MPH. The vessel was reported to have been loaded with 70,000 pounds of Dover Sole.

Commercial fishing off the coast of Washington and Oregon remains extremely dangerous. Few regulations apply to commercial fishing vessels of this size. The cause of this sinking is under investigation. The Coast Guard investigation will likely investigate the construction and design of the vessel, and maintenance and repair records for the vessel, as well as the vessel’s safety equipment. In similar sinkings in this area, such as the LADY CECELIA in 2012, the Coast Guard investigation has looked at how the loading of the vessel may have impacted stability.

Published on: January 21, 2016

Crab Boat EAGLE III Hits Coos Bay Jetty; Three Fishermen Feared Dead

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

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. At the time of the incident, winds were 30 mph and seas were estimated at 8-10 feet. The EAGLE III is home ported in Port Orford, California. The Captain of the EAGLE III is reported to have survived the incident. The search has been suspended for the two missing crew. The cause of the incident is under investigation. The Coast Guard will likely investigate whether the EAGLE III was seaworthy, the crew properly trained, and whether or not navigational error may have contributed to the crewmen deaths. The Oregon and Washington Crab fishery has again proven itself to be one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Small vessels such as the EAGLE III often face weather conditions that place them in peril.

Published on: June 13, 2015

Four men rescued as fishing vessel KUPREANOF sank near Lituya Bay, Southeast Alaska

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

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 KUPREANOF called in a MAYDAY to the Coast Guard stating that the boat was taking on water and sinking. He had ordered his crew to don their immersion suits and ready the life raft. He was worried about one of his older crewmembers who couldn’t swim. Weather conditions were 7-foot high waves and 10-mph winds.

The Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter arrived at the vessel just as the crewmembers were abandoning ship and swimming to the life raft. The rescue team hoisted each crewmember out of the water and then flew back to the Sitka Medical Center. All four men were reported in good condition.

Published on: May 6, 2015

F/V SEA BEAST Sinks Off La Push, WA – Master Dies, 3 Crewmembers Rescued

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

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 successfully abandoned ship into a life raft, but the SEA BEAST reportedly capsized with Martin still onboard.

The Coast Guard found and rescued the three men in the life raft and took them to Station Quillayute River in La Push. Coast Guard helicopter crews and motor lifeboat crews searched over 498 square miles looking for Martin, but they finally suspended the search after 17 hours, said Petty Officer Jonathan Klingenberg, spokesman for the Seattle Coast Guard.

“One of the hardest decisions the Coast Guard has to make is when to suspend a search for a missing person,” said Cmdr. Brian Meier, of the Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound response division. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to the friends, family and loved ones of the vessel captain.”

Published on: April 23, 2015

Fishing Vessel NORTHERN PRIDE Catches Fire Off of Kodiak Island, Alaska – Three Crewmembers Rescued

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

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 the life raft located off Stevenson Entrance, 60 miles north of Kodiak.

“We couldn’t fight the fire; it was too smoky; it was scary,” said Scott Beckstrom, captain of the NORTHERN PRIDE. “So we made a distress call, put on our survival suits, manually launched the life raft and got in safely, turned on the EPIRB and waited for our heroes who came within a half hour.”

Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Lindsey Green, operations specialist, Sector Anchorage command center said, “The crew of the NORTHERN PRIDE was prepared and took the necessary steps to ensure their safety when their vessel caught on fire. Emergencies can occur at any time and having the right safety equipment is critical when operating in Alaska’s extreme environments.”

Published on: April 17, 2015

Electrical Fire on Passenger Ferry VICTORIA CLIPPER During Trip from Victoria BC to Seattle

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

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 off Port Townsend with 223 passengers on board when the fire broke out. Ferry crew extinguished the fire and no one was injured.

The Coast Guard notified the WA State Ferry Operation Center and the Seattle Fire Department to assist if necessary, and a Coast Guard helicopter and patrol boat crew escorted the ferry safely back to Seattle.

“The response of the VICTORIA CLIPPER crew was exceptional,” said Lt. Raffael Shamilov, command duty officer at the Coast Guard 13th District Command Center in Seattle. The Coast Guard will investigate the cause of the fire.

Published on: April 3, 2015

Voyages of Two WA Fishing Vessels Terminated for Inadequate Safety Equipment

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

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 Coast Guard escorted the vessel to Neah Bay. The vessel near Anacortes lacked a sound producing device, enough life jackets, and a current fishing vessel inspection. The boat was escorted to Anacortes.

“It’s imperative for mariners to have crucial safety equipment on board,” said Dan Hardin, 13th Coast Guard District/Pacific Northwest commercial fishing vessel safety coordinator. “The chances of survival are immediately lessened when this vital gear is either not on board or inoperable.”

Published on: April 2, 2015

Lessons Learned from Marine Accident Investigations – NTSB Safer Seas 2014 Report

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

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 control systems, passenger safety during critical maneuvers, vessel maintenance, and crew training.

Safer Seas 2014 is available on the NTSB website at:

Published on: March 15, 2015

Tugboat SEA BEAR Sinks off Fire Island, New York: One Dies, Three Rescued

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

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 to the scene about one mile south of Fire Island, they found a debris field with three men in survival suits clustered together. The survivors were treated for hypothermia and taken to a hospital. A Good Samaritan tugboat that had responded to the urgent marine information broadcast (UMIB) found the dead fourth crewmember.

Water temperature at the time was reported to be about 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Our deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of the deceased,” said Capt. Edward Cubanski, commander Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. “I also applaud our dedicated and professional search and rescue crews, our port partners, local EMS, and police who responded on scene and ashore.”

Published on: March 12, 2015

Cause of Death of Crew Member Aboard F/V ALASKA DREAM Still Unknown

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

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 been called suspicious, his remains were sent to the State Medical Examiner’s office in Anchorage for autopsy. The cause of death is still unknown.

According to Alaska Native News, O’Callahan, a resident of Florida, had fished in Alaska halibut, cod, salmon and crab fisheries.

His next of kin has been notified. They’ve announced that some of his ashes will be scattered at the Harbor Pier in Kodiak, and the rest will be scattered in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.