Maritime Injury Law Blog

The Pacific Glacier, home ported in Seattle, made it back to Dutch Harbor under it’s own power after a fire threatened to destroy it in the Bering Sea.

On February 26th the Pacific Glacier caught fire at sea. First mate, Odd Rotset, summoned fire crews aboard the vessel, who were immediately sent to the area where the alarm indicated. Ships in the area were also notified of the situation taking place onboard. Those crewmen not trained in fire control immediately donned survival suits, and were the first ones evacuated from the vessel.

Within 45 minutes of the fire alarm it became obvious that progress was not being made with the fire. First mate Rotset then contacted the Coast Guard who diverted USCG Cutter Alex Haley to the fire, but it would not arrive for another five hours. Fortunately for the Pacific Glacier, there were more than a dozen ships in the area waiting to help, and they began by evacuating the 90 crew who were not trained to fight fires. Additionally, they provided firefighters and equipment. Without this help, the Pacific Glacier would have quickly used up the breathing equipment they had onboard, greatly falling short of the time they needed to get the fire under control. Without the additional equipment and firefighters, the vessel surely would have been a complete loss.

When the USGC Cutter Alex Haley arrived at midnight, the fire was still being fought onboard. By 6am the fire was finally put out. The crews fought the fire for 12 hours straight, saving the vessel. Crew berths, galley spaces, and two decks were destroyed by the fire – but the Pacific Glacier was still afloat.

Many important lessons were learned in the process of this accident:

• Contacting the Coast Guard early and often is the first of three steps mariners need to take during a shipboard fire.
• Having the necessary equipment and knowing how to use it are key to managing an emergency at sea.
• Training and continued practice is critical. Take all the training and all the repeating drills seriously.
• Partnering with other vessels in the area can be key

Source: USCG Press Release

Mike Dunne and Vern McGee are missing, along with the vessel “Transition.” On February 22, 2008 the Coast Guard was notified, and a 6-day search began that covered 6700 square miles of water and shoreline. On the 27th, a door from the Transition was found on Frederick Sound on Kupreanof Island.

Mike and Vern were on their way from Juneau to Ketchikan at the time of the incident. The search was officially called off on February 28th, 2008.

Source: USGC Press Release

Wednesday, January 23, 2008 the tugboat Joe Foss sunk in 210 feet of water off the Oregon Coast near Tillamook. All three crew members were rescued by a nearby fishing vessel, the Kilchis, before the Coast Guard transferred them to their station in Tillamook Bay. The tug was believed to be carrying 1300 gallons of fuel when it went down.

A day or two earlier the Joe Foss began taking on water near Neah Bay, Washington and was escorted by the Coast Guard into La Push, WA for repairs.

Source: USCG

January 21, 2008 the 69-foot fishing boat, Haeshin, hit a jetty near Westport, WA and sank into the channel. All three crew members were rescued before the vessel went under in 30 feet of water.

The Haeshin reportedly had 540 gallons of diesel aboard when it sank. Crews were unable to remove the fuel at the time due to conditions. Sonar was later used to try and locate the sunken boat, as it appeared to have drifted from it’s known location. The vessel has not yet been found, and no signs of a diesel spill have been reported.

Source: USCG

January 25, 2008 Coast Guard investigators announced that the Lady of Grace capsized and sank on January 26, 2007 likely because of excessive ice buildup on the rigging, making it top heavy.

The Lady of Grace was approximately 12 miles out from Hyannis, Mass when it sank, losing all four New Bedford fishermen aboard. No one saw the sinking or had radio contact with the Lady of Grace at the time of the incident, but vessels in the area at the time provided weather conditions to assist in reconstruction of the incident.

194 commercial fishing vessels have been lost in the Northeast due to capsizing or sinking in the past 15 years, with two of them believed to have been due to icing.

Source: USCG

Monday, November 26th, 2007: Lady Blackie, a 90 foot fishing vessel, began taking on water at about 4:45 am in Wide Bay in Shelikof Strait. An EPIRB signal alerted the Coast Guard, who was able to make contact with the boat and learned that the vessel was taking on water and the crew could not access the pumps.

The three men and one woman donned survival suits and boarded the life raft with their dog, Tusk, an additional EPIRB, strobe lights, and a parachute flare. They were located about 30 minutes later by the Coast Guard, in good condition, and were praised for doing all the right things to be found quickly and safely.

On October 21, 2007 off of Coney Island, New York a 24-foot fishing boat collided with a barge. Two men were killed and two were injured when the fishing boat overturned. Police divers pulled one of the survivors from under the boat and the other was rescued by a passing fishing vessel. A third man was pronounced dead at the scene while the fourth man died later. The Coast Guard is investigating.

Icicle Seafoods is being acquired by Fox Paine Management III LLC. On August 5 a news release stated the deal was expected to close within 90 days. Icicle believes that this acquisition will help them to fulfill their vision of growing operations in new markets, and building up their existing markets.

Icicle is a major processor of wild Alaska salmon, pollock, crab, halibut, cod, sablefish and herring. Icicle is based in Seattle, but employs 2,200 people in operations in Alaska, Washington State, Oregon, Japan and Chile. There is expected to be no changes in staffing of the company.

Source: Alaska Journal of Commerce

A fisherman had to be airlifted after being injured aboard the fishing vessel Muir Milach near Ilwaco, WA on June 29. A helicopter from Coast Guard Station Astoria and a lifeboat crew from Station Cape Disappointment were dispatched to assist the man, who was later transported to a hospital in Portland, Ore.

Commercial fishing is an occupation with a high risk of injury. If injured while at work aboard fishing vessel, be sure to find out about your rights to compensation under maritime law and the Jones Act. Contact the experienced maritime lawyers at Beard Stacey Trueb & Jacobsen for a free consultation and explore our website for FAQs and basic maritime law information.

The Spirit of Yorktown, a 257-foot cruise vessel, crashed into a much smaller fishing vessel, the Adirondack, on June 25 in Chatham Strait in southeast Alaska. This is the Spirit of Yorktown’s second mishap in two years, the first occurring when the boat ran aground in Washington State last year. The collision is under investigation by the Coast Guard.

No one was injured in the collision, but Adirondack's steering was disabled and the fishing vessel had to be towed to port. The vessel also sustained damage to its right side and top house. The Spirit of Yorktown reported no damage.

The owner of Adirondack hoped to have his vessel - his livelihood - back on the water within a week of the collision.

If you have been involved in a vessel collision at sea that has resulted either in injury or in damage to your vessel, be sure to find out about your rights under maritime law. Call Beard Stacey Trueb & Jacobsen today for a free consultation, and visit our website.

April 26, 2007: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico

Only 19 of 39 fishermen have been rescued after the capsizing of their vessel, 20 nautical miles north of Monti Cristi, Dominican Republic.

On Tuesday, April 24th, a Good Samaritan vessel rescued two fishermen from the water. The fishermen reported that their vessel, whith 39 passengers on board, had originated from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic the previous evening, headed for Silver Bank - about 60 nautical miles north, when it capsized.

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Dominican Republic navy were called in to assist with the rescues, and a total of 19 fisherman were rescued. None of the rescued were wearing lifejackets or flotation devices.

Source: U.S. Coast Guard Press Release

April 23, 2007: KODIAK, Ak

A 39-year-old fisherman was evacuated from the Seattle-based fishing vessel "Cape Kawana" after a report that he was injured and needed medical attention.

The vessel was 60 miles south of Kodiak Island when the Coast Guard hoisted the injured man from the deck. He was transported to Kodiak.

Source: U.S. Coast Guard Press Release

April 25, 2007: JUNEAU, Alaska

The Coast Guard Auxiliary rescued 13 people from a life raft after the 38-foot charter vessel Halibut Endeavor capsized near Homer. The Homer Police Department received a call from one of the passengers, stating that the vessel was taking on water. The Coast Guard was then contacted, and they arrived at the scene to find all 13 passengers in a life raft. All passengers made it to the life raft before the vessel capsized. The Auxiliary transferred the crew and passengers to Roanoke Island.

The cause of the vessel taking on water is unknown at this time.

Source: U.S. Coast Guard Press Release

April 26, 2007: JUNEAU, Alaska

A Coast Guard helicopter from Sitka rescued three people from the trawling vessel "Sea Bear", after it ran aground in the Klag Bay area. The three were transported to Sitka after being located on a nearby shore with their skiff.

Source: U.S. Coast Guard

March 13, 2007: Five fishermen were hoisted to safety after the 53-foot fishing vessel, Risky Business, became disabled and started to sink.

A 7:48 am call alerted Air Station Kodiak that the Risky Business was listing to port, and was heading to Kodiak. At noon they further reported a mechanical problem, listing of 30 degrees to port, and announced they were planning to abandon ship.

The Coast Guard dispatched a HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, that arrived just as the vessel was forced on its port side by 20-foot seas and 50 mph winds. The Coast Guard instructed the crewmembers to put on survival suits and enter the water, and they were each hoisted by basket into the helicopter.

The captain and four crewmembers were treated and released. The mechanical trouble is being investigated by the Coast Guard.

Source: U.S. Coast Guard Press Release

BOSTON. At 2 a.m. on February 2, 2007 the Coast Guard received an electronic signal from the 52-foot commercial fishing vessel, Lady Luck, indicating the vessel may be in distress. The signal did not include any information on its position. An urgent marine broadcast was sent out at 2:55 a.m. alerting boaters in the area where the boat was believed to have been, to be on the lookout.

Continue reading "SEARCH FOR LADY LUCK AND CREW SUSPENDED" »

BOSTON. On January 27, 2007 the Coast Guard began its search for the fishing vessel Lady of Grace and it four-person crew, who never arrived in New Bedford Harbor at its expected time.

Last contact with Lady of Grace was reportedly with the fishing vessel Lisa Ann II, by e-mail the night of the 26th. Lisa Ann II’s crew became concerned when the Lady of Grace did not respond to their last e-mail at around 10 pm.

Continue reading "SEARCH CALLED OFF FOR CREW OF SUNKEN FISHING VESSEL" »

Four crewmen from the 43-foot fishing vessel “Ash” have been reported missing after the boat capsized and sunk at the entrance to the Rogue River in Oregon. At 3:40pm on December 16th, 2006, the Coast Guard received a report that the vessel had overturned and was sinking. The vessel was apparently trying to cross the river bar at the time of the incident.

The U.S. Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter and a motor life boat and searched the area extensively. The vessel’s life raft, two survival suits, and small pieces of debris have been recovered, but there has been no sign of survivors.

Source: U.S. Coast Guard Press Release

October 20, 2006

On Thursday night, October 19th, the search for the 26-year-old missing crewman of the Ocean Challenger was officially called off. Officials had searched more than 1,730 square miles in the North Pacific for two days. After 48 hours there is very little chance of survival in water temperatures of 48 degrees. The missing man was not wearing a survival suit.

It is still not known what caused the boat to capsize, but the weather was known to be severe.

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The 58-foot commercial fishing Ocean Challenger capsized Wednesday in the stormy Pacific Ocean, 90 miles south of Sand Point, Alaska. Four were on board the fishing boat. Moments before the boat capsized, the fishermen launched a life raft, but none of them were able to get in it, overtaken by waves two stories high.

The Ocean Challenger was a longliner and home-ported out of Adak, Alaska. The Ocean Challenger had been fishing for black cod near the Sanak Islands and was traveling back to the Aleutian fishing town of Sand Point when it disappeared into the water.

The survivor, 28-year-old Kevin Ferrell, was the only person wearing a survival suit, the Coast Guard said. The two other men, skipper David “Cowboy” Hasselquist of Hoonah, Alaska and Walter Foster of Westport, Washington, were dead when pulled from the water by a rescue swimmer. The missing man, a 26-year-old Kodiak fisherman, was reportedly not wearing a survival suit, the Coast Guard said

The Coast Guard reported 25-knot winds, 20-foot waves and 48 degrees. The National Weather Service said the water temperature was also about 45 degrees.

The first helicopter, a Jayhawk, arrived about an hour after the distress call. The Coast Guard sent a helicopter, a C-130 airplane and the Coast Guard cutter Munro to the location of the capsized Ocean Challenger. Ferrell was taken to the Cold Bay Clinic in Alaska, about 50 miles away, then to an Anchorage hospital.

The cause of the capsizing is unknown at this time.

Source: Coast Guard Reports, Anchorage Daily News & Seattle Post-Intelligencer

On July 5, 2006, Peter Horn, 54, suffered chest pains and mutiple abrasionas and lacerations to his abdomen when a rigging form the 50-foot vessel, Ann Elizabeth, fell overboard, taking him with it. Horn was pinned between the cable and hull of the vessel. His shipmates helped him back aboard the boat after he freed himself.

A Coast Guard helicopter from the Air Station in Atlantic City was dispatched to the scene and medevaced Horn to South Jersey Medical Center in Neptune, N.J. The accident took place 25 miles off the coast of Manasquan Inlet, N.J. The Ann Elizabeth home ports in Barnegat Light, N.J.

Source: USCG Press Release

At around 11:30 pm on May 7, 2006, the 30-foot fishing vessel, Lady Alliene, AKA Calico Dog, had two crewmen aboard when it overturned on its way into Unalaska Bay near Dutch Harbor. The boat was returning from cod fishing, and had 2,700 pounds of cod on deck, when the accident occurred. Weather at the time of the incident was dark and rainy, with poor visibility and five-foot seas.

One of the two crewmen was able to crawl out onto the top of the overturned hull. He was eventually rescued by a passing Alaska State Trooper vessel, the Stimpson. The second man has not been found. Neither man was wearing a life jacket or survival suit.

Source: USCG Alaska Press Release

SEATTLE - The Coast Guard is investigating the collision of a fishing boat with several vessels and a pier in Tillamook Bay, Ore., that occurred Thursday evening. The fishing vessel Swell Rider, a 73-foot commercial fishing vessel, collided with the vessels and pier while attempting to navigate to its moorage in the harbor.

Personnel from Coast Guard Station Tillamook Bay boarded the vessel and performed an inspection. Inspections after a search and rescue case or marine accident are a normal procedure.

No injuries or pollution were reported but the pier suffered extensive damage. Further assessment of all vessels involved will continue to determine the full extent of damage. The cause of the accident is under investigation. The master of the vessel is fully cooperating with Coast Guard officials.

Continue reading "Boat Collision in Tillamook Bay, Oregon" »

The Coast Guard received a mayday call at 6:54 am Friday morning, March 10th from the 34-foot gillnetter, Slayer. The caller stated, “Going down, two hands on board Port Gardner.”

The hands onboard Slayer were Rick Nebert, 42, of Juneau, and Matthew Young, 18, of Sitka. Rick was the owner/operator of the vessel. Rick’s wife, Jennifer, said that her husband had been longlining for cod near Kake and was headed to Sitka to unload his catch.

Within 50 minutes of the mayday call, a Coast Guard helicopter arrived at the scene, and with the assistance of a nearby vessel, the Aleutian Dream, searched the area. Approximately five miles south of Port Gardner they located a raft, survival suit, and a life ring. Later in the morning an additional HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and the Coast Guard Cutter, Anacapa, joined in the search. By early afternoon, two Civil Air Patrol aircraft also joined in the effort. On Friday night the Coast Guard used a helicopter equipped with infra red and night vision technology.

Continue reading "Search for Fishing Vessel "Slayer" Called Off" »

At 1:30 am on February 7, 2006, the Coast Guard received a VHF call. Two red flares were spotted near Tillamook Bay, Oregon. A Jayhawk helicopter and two 47-foot motor lifeboats were dispatched to the area.

Debris was found identifying the vessel as the Catherine M., a 45-foot crabber whose homeport was Warrenton, Oregon. The body of Jeff King, 30, of Garibaldi, was also found on a nearby beach by a local rescue team, along with a life raft and three survival suits. The bodies of Trona Griffin 30, of Garibaldi, Oregon, and Craig Larson, 31, of Hammond, Oregon, washed ashore in the days following.

The last contact from the crew came the night before the incident, when Craig Larson’s wife spoke to him by phone. She was told the boat was returning to port with around 1,200 pounds of crab.

Continue reading "Sinking of Crab Boat at Tillamook Bar May Be Due to Jetty Miscalculation" »

A 23-year-old man lost most of his hand on a fishing vessel near Akutan Island on Monday night, the Coast Guard said.

Louis Acosta was on the 120-foot Trailblazer, homeported in Newport, Ore., when the incident occurred near the island, Lt. Mara Booth-Miller said. She said the Coast Guard was still investigating and it did not immediately know how the accident happened.

Source: Anchorage Daily News, November 9, 2005

Continue reading "Accident on fishing boat takes off most of young man's right hand" »