Two Seiners involved in the derby style Sitka Sac Roe Herring Fishery collided. Alaska State Troopers report that the F/V CONFIDENCE and F/V SHADY LADY collided on March 24, 2010. Substantial damage was reportedly suffered by the SHADY LADY. No serious injuries were reported in the collision and the cause of the accident is under investigation by the Coast Guard.
March 27, 2010 – A 32 foot recreational vessel exploded at a Portland Oregon fuel dock. Three people were rescued from the water and transported to local hospitals for treatment. The Coast Guard and the Portland Fire Department responded to the accident which occurred at Donaldson’s Marina. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
March 21, 2010 – The SUNDOWN, a forty foot fishing vessel, has reportedly been saved from sinking with the assistance of the United States Coast Guard. The SUNDOWN radioed for help indicating they were taking on water at around noon on Sunday. Another fishing vessel, the VICIOUS FISHER, was able to render aid to the SUNDOWN before the Coast Guard arrived and before the vessel sank. Five dewatering pumps were needed to bring the flooding under control. The SUNDOWN is being towed by the VICIOUS FISHER to Neah Bay with a motor life boat standing by.
A crewman working aboard a the fishing boat GOLDEN ALASKA has been airlifted from the vessel by the United States Coast Guard. The sixty year old crewman was complaining of severe abdominal pain and was taken to St. George Island with plans to transfer him to Anchorage for further evaluation and a treatment.
In cases of medical emergencies aboard ships at sea, the United States Coast Guard can be contacted for medical advice via ship to shore communications. There are also numerous private medical firms that are available to provide ship to shore medical advice for treatment of injured crewmen. While getting an injured or ill crewman to shore for treatment may cost time and money, delays in obtaining medical treatment may have severe consequences. In serious cases, a crewman may need to be airlifted from the vessel. Fishing vessels in Alaska operating long distances from the nearest medical facilities must be well prepared to handle medical emergencies and have plans for medical evacuation of crewmen needing medical treatment. Most vessels have sophisticated medical supplies aboard and large processors and catcher processors will have nurses or emergency medical technicians aboard to provide initial medical assessments of crewmen.
The DIEHLESS, a sixty foot wooden motor vessel built in 1916 sank in Wards Cove, Alaska. The owner of the vessel was on board at the time of the sinking. He reports waking at 4:00 A.M. to the sound of a bilge alarm and discovering the vessel’s back deck awash and the engine room flooded. The owner was able to safely evacuate the vessel. Efforts are underway to contain any environmental damage. It is was estimated the DIEHLESS had 250 gallons of fuel and other oils on board.
The importance of operating bilge alarms cannot be overstated. Bilge alarms should be regularly checked and be properly located, redundant and back up systems should also be considered.
A 712-foot container ship en route from Dutch Harbor, Alaska to Tacoma, Washington has lost power in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Horizon Tacoma experienced problems with its number one engine, and shut down the engine three nautical miles north of Neah Bay on Tuesday. A state emergency response tug was sent to aid the ailing ship, and was on the scene within 15 minutes. Under tow by Foss tugs, the container ship is en route to Tacoma for needed repairs.
The ISLAND WIND, a 65 foot tug boat owned by Island Tug and Barge has sunk at a Seattle dock along the Duwamish River. The vessel reportedly became lodged beneath the dock at low tide causing the vessel to flood as the tide rose. Such sinkings are usually caused by improper mooring of the vessel. The ISLAND WIND had 6,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board and 400 gallons of lube oil. Salvage and pollution containment operations are underway. The accident is hoped to have minimal impact on the environment. The tug was apparently unmanned at the time of the accident.
Three crewmen have been rescued from a dredge taking on water near the Quillayute River near La Push, Washington. The dredge, “Bar Fly,” reportedly got hung up on its anchor and began taking on water, causing the crew to radio the Coast Guard for help. The dredge sank in ten feet of water, and salvage and efforts to limit environmental damage are underway. There were no reported injuries in the accident.
In a recent decision by the United States Supreme Court, crewmen aboard dredges such as the Bar Fly have been declared to be Jones Act seamen and covered by Federal Maritime Law. Maritime employers owe dredge workers a safe place to work and a seaworthy vessel. In almost all accidents such as this one, the accident is preventable if proper safety procedures are followed.
The tugboat J.R. Nichols has sunk in the Houston Shipping Channel. The 56-foot tugboat had a crew of five aboard at the time of the sinking. Four of the five crewmen survived the sinking, but the fifth crewman died in the accident. Salvage efforts have raised the J.R. Nichols, and an investigation is underway into the cause of the sinking. The tugboat is reportedly owned by Kinder Morgan.
The state-of-the-art, 207-foot-long tuna vessel, Sea Fox, is reporting a man missing overboard near American Samoa. The crewman was last seen aboard the vessel on Thursday. The Coast Guard and Sea Fox crew are conducting air searches for the missing man. It is not known whether the crewman was wearing a life vest or flotation device. Records indicate the Sea Fox is managed by South Pacific Tuna Corporation and United States Tuna Management Company, home-based in San Diego, California.
Maritime Injury Law Blog