Tag Archives: TowBoatUS
Overboard California Fisherman Swims Five Hours to Safety
After being thrown overboard, and as he watched his boat drift away from him, a fisherman knew that his only chance of survival was to swim his way out. “I looked up at the sky and I was like ‘Really?!’” he said. “Like really, this is how I’m going to die.” He began to think about his family: his wife their two little girls and their older son and motivated himself to keep swimming. “There was a lot of the drive,” said Thompson. “Just thinking ‘Oh my god, they’re going to grow up without me.” Video, >click to read< 10:05
California Fisherman Survives Harrowing 5-Hour Swim After Falling Overboard
Scott Thompson, a commercial fisherman, took his boat out on the Santa Barbara Channel around 5 p.m. on Jan. 26. Five hours of swimming later, he wound up on an oil platform with no boat. On his way back, he stood up on the side of the boat but rough waters took hold of the vessel. Thompson lost his balance and fell. That left him stranded in the water and watching his boat drift away. He attempted to swim and catch up to it but was unsuccessful. Eventually, around 10 p.m., Thompson found his way to oil Platform Gail. >click to read< 20:16
F/V Bear still stuck in the sand at Island Beach State Park
A 68-foot fishing boat named Bear was (remains) stuck in the sand Thursday morning after it ran aground at the southern end of Island Beach State Park overnight, according to the Coast Guard. Sometime Wednesday night, watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay received a report through VHF Channel 16 of a grounded fishing boat in the sand with three people aboard, officials said. Video, 20 photos, >click to read< 09:42
F/V Bear Update: Drone Footage Shows Grounded Boat Taking a Beating
A bird’s-eye view of the the fishing vessel F/V Bear, a 68-foot scallop boat that became grounded at Island Beach State Park over the weekend, spent another day at the mercy of the waves as crews have yet to be able to free her. In the meantime, new drone footage posted by a YouTuber known as SuazOnn shows the sheer scale of the weight that must be hauled in order to refloat the vessel, which was built in 1984. Video, photos, >click to read< 09:38
New Jersey: Grounded Fishing Boat Still on the Beach
The fishing vessel F/V Bear, a 68-foot boat built in 1984, according to a federal registration database, remained in the surf zone and led to the closure of an area of the park to vehicles and anglers Sunday. State officials closed Area 23 of the park due to concerns over high tides and strong winds Sunday into Monday. “If the boat shifts position, it may create safety and access issues if the boat turns perpendicular to shore,” an announcement said. Video, >click to read< 08:03
F/V Determination sinks in Woods Hole off Penzance Point Friday evening
The U.S. Coast Guard was notified the vessel was taking on water at 4:50 pm, according to Petty Officer Amanda Wyrick. Two 45 foot response boats from Station Woods Hole came to the vessel’s aid and safely recovered the crew, Wyrick said. The vessel sank by Buoy 11, Wyrick said. She could not confirm whether or not the vessel struck rocks. >click to read< More photos, >click here< 07:02
TowBoatUS captains honored for saving lives
Ten TowBoatUS captains were honored by their peers for lifesaving actions at the annual BoatUS Towing Conference last week in San Diego. The captains serve TowBoatUS locations in Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and North Carolina. The awards were given at the Feb.14-16 conference for actions they took last year. Meritorious Service Awards were given to eight recipients, including Capt. Clint Allen, TowBoatUS New Bedford, Mass.: rescued six crewmen from the 72-foot commercial scallop fishing vessel Captain Jeff after it began taking on water five miles south of New Bedford Harbor. Read the story here 08:53
Destroyed tuna vessel Laurie Ann towed to Salisbury
The Laurie Ann, a 35-foot-long tuna boat that sank in the mouth of the Merrimack River Monday evening in rough seas, is back above water but its days as a seaworthy vessel appear to be over. Wednesday evening the vessel was towed back to shore and hauled out by a TowBoatUS crew, an operation that took roughly six hours. Afterward, the boat was trucked to the Salisbury Industrial Park off Rabbit Road where its owner, Stan Kench, works, according to Mike Goodridge of TowBoatUS. Kench was one of two men onboard the vessel when it capsized in choppy water around 7 p.m. Monday. Both men were thrown from the boat and sustained minor injuries. The capsizing was witnessed by a good Samaritan aboard the Lady Suzanne who radioed the Coast Guard for help and then plucked the two men from the water. Read the story here 08:36
