Articles Posted in Maritime Issues

The Coast Guard began searching for a missing person approximately 30 miles west of La Push, Wash., Friday.

The missing person was one of four crewmembers on board the 40-foot fishing vessel Maverick, which was involved in a collision with the 90-foot fishing vessel Viking Storm. The Maverick sank as a result of the collision and three of the four crewmembers were recovered by the crew of the Viking Storm.

The Coast Guard has diverted and deployed multiple assets to the scene to search for the missing person. The three crewmembers rescued by the Viking Storm were transferred to the a Coast Guard vessel and were reported to be in stable condition.

The Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology are responding to a vessel that leaked diesel fuel in the Columbia River near Longview, Wash., Wednesday.

The Coast Guard was notified by Ecology at approximately 1 p.m., that the 100-foot former fishing vessel Tiffany, moored on the south side of Lord Island approximately 4 miles downriver from Longview, was leaking diesel from cracks in a fuel tank in its port bow. The incident was initially investigated after reports of a half-mile-long sheen on the Oregon side of the Columbia River.

The Coast Guard dispatched incident management personnel from Sector Columbia River and contracted Cowlitz Clean Sweep to place oil containment boom around the vessel, assess how much diesel is on board and a determine the best strategy to remove the fuel.

As of October 15, 2012, all U.S. commercial fishing vessels operating beyond three nautical miles offshore will be required to have a U.S. Coast Guard dockside safety examination. The mandatory dockside examination requirement, called for in legislation enacted in 2010, affects commercial fishing vessels nationwide, and includes all commercial fishing, fish tender and fish processing vessels.

“The goal of this new regulation is to improve safety. Commercial fishing continues to be the most dangerous of all maritime occupations — more workers die commercially fishing than in any other industry,” said Peggy Murphy, 11th Coast Guard District commercial fishing vessel safety specialist.

“A successful dockside safety examination ensures your vessel is in compliance with the law, but more importantly, safety exams have been proven to help increase crew survival when something goes wrong at sea. We want every commercial fisherman to come home safely,” Murphy says.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska –  According to a report from the U.S. Coast Guard, on September, 21, 2012, the Coast Guard rescued four men from a life raft after they abandoned their fishing vessel more than 30 miles south of Resurrection Bay.  Weather at the time the vessel sank was reported as 20-30 mph winds and 13-foot seas.

Coast Guard Sector Anchorage watchstanders received a mayday call on marine VHF radio channel 16 at 9:01 p.m. from the crew of the 110-foot fishing vessel Moonlight Maid. The crew reported that the vessel was sinking and they were donning survival suits and entering their life raft.

Sector Anchorage watchstanders directed the launch of a Kodiak-based MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew to rescue the men in distress. The helicopter crew located the four individuals in their life raft at 10:51 p.m. The helicopter crew safely hoisted the fishermen and took them to Seward where they were transferred to emergency medical personnel. There were no reported injuries.

The Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology are responding to an oil spill, Monday, from a sunken 71-foot fishing vessel near Twin Bridge Marina located in Mount Vernon.

An oil sheen is located on the surface of the water above the sunken vessel. The Coast Guard contracted Global Diving and Salvage Company to contain and clean up the spill.

Boom has been placed around the sheen and divers are preparing to plug and patch any source of leakage.

The Coast Guard medevaced a man from a commercial fishing vessel approximately 75 miles west of the Columbia River entrance, Saturday.

Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received a report at approximately 8:35 p.m., Friday, indicating one of two men aboard the 52-foot commercial fishing vessel Melville had fallen and sustained a serious head injury approximately 90 miles west of the Columbia River entrance.

A rescue swimmer worked with the healthy crewmember aboard Melville to get the deck clear and prepare the injured man for a hoist.

According to news reports, one crew member is dead and another missing after the Kodiak-based F/V ADVANTAGE sank 50 miles southeast of Kodiak City.  According the U.S. Coast Guard, three crew members were rescued from their liferaft by a Coast Guard helicopter.  None of the crewmembers were wearing survival suits.  Skipper Leif Bolan died after he and two crewmembers were transported to the hospital in Kodiak, Alaska.  Another crewmember, Jaime Gallege, was missing in the water.  At the time of the incident, the weather conditions were reportedly good with 2-3 foot seas.  It is presently unknown why the vessel sank and the Coast Guard is reportedly investigating the cause of the sinking.

As seaman injured or killed in the service of the vessel, these crew members are covered by the Jones Act.  The Jones Act provides a cause of action for wrongful death of a crew member and may provide the family with much needed financial support after the devastating loss of a loved one.  Moreover, injured crew members may collect damages under the Jones Act for lost wages and other damages for pain, disability, and loss of enjoyment of life.  With decades of experience representing seamen, our firm is ready to help navigate these difficult issues.  If you need help, give us a call for a no-cost consultation to get your questions answered by an experienced maritime lawyer.   

The 79-foot sightseeing vessel Baranof Wind struck a rock in Glacier Bay, Alaska and began taking on water yesterday. The Coast Guard, National Park Service, and the Holland America Line cruise vessel Volendam responded to the scene and rescued the 76 passengers. The passengers are believed to have been on an eight-hour cruise aboard the high-speed catamaran which can accommodate up to 149 people. Glacier Bay, at the northern end of southeastern Alaska’s Inside Passage, is a major tourist destination known for its spectacular scenery and marine life.

The Volendam crew transferred 70 people from the Baranof Wind to their vessel, two people were taken aboard a National Park Service boat and four crewmembers remained aboard the Baranof Wind to maintain pumps and to ensure it stays afloat. The Coast Guard launched an Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew with a dewatering pump and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Anacapa to assist the Baranof Wind crew. Coast Guard Sector Juneau is sending response personnel to investigate the cause of the grounding and pollution potential. They are also working with Allen Marine to develop a towing plan to deliver the Baranof Wind to Sitka, Alaska.

None of the passengers were seriously hurt, though reports state that two were treated for minor injuries. The crew of the Volendam will transport the Baranof Wind’s passengers to Bartlett Cove where they will be transferred to another Allen Marine vessel and returned to Juneau.

The Coast Guard suspended its search yesterday at 8:35 a.m. for the man who fell from the sternwheeler Queen of the West on the Columbia River near Rainier, Ore., Tuesday.

Crewmembers aboard the Queen of the West contacted Coast Guard Sector Columbia River at approximately 1:10 a.m. via Vhf channel 16 to report a male member of their crew had fallen from the stern of the vessel while the boat was moored at a dock in Rainier. Witnesses saw the man surface once before losing sight of him.

A Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, Ore., and a 25-foot response boat crew from Station Portland, Ore., were dispatched to search for the man with the assistance of Columbia County marine assets. Coast Guard investigators from Marine Safety Unit Portland have also been notified. The Coast Guard, Columbia County marine assets, and the crew of the tug boat Maverick searched approximately 10 square miles for a combined six hours before suspending the search.