Washington state officials are ordering a salmon fisherman to pay $646,259 in damages and penalties for spilling diesel fuel into Haro Strait as his commercial fishing boat sank off San Juan Island. The boat, a purse seiner called F/V Aleutian Isle, sank while participating in a sockeye salmon fishery in August 2022. Its five-member crew escaped onto a small skiff before the Aleutian Isle rolled on its side and disappeared beneath the waves, about 15 minutes after its captain noticed water covering its main deck. F/V Aleutian Isle spent more than a month on the sea floor, with the powerful currents of Haro Strait moving it to deeper water over time, before salvage crews lifted it from the water. They recovered 590 gallons of diesel from its tanks. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:11
Tag Archives: Coast Guard
How a few daring moves saved the crew of the Star of the Sea tuna boat in a 1961 accident
In the predawn hours of Oct. 4, 1961, a tuna clipper en route to San Diego ran aground off Point Arena in dense fog. The 108-foot Star of the Sea — with an 11-man crew and 160 tons of tuna aboard — was returning from a nine-week fishing voyage near Newport, Oregon. As it arrived in the small coastal city of Point Arena, between Sea Ranch and Manchester in Mendocino County, the vessel’s navigational system went out amid unnavigable fog and turbulent waters. The Oct. 4, 1961, Oakland Tribune reported the crew fought to control the ship, then the captain, identified as Andrew Baity, deliberately grounded it on sand to prevent it from smashing into nearby rocks. With the vessel’s two dories lost in the heavy sea and no immediate rescue on the way, the crew was stuck and helpless. Then, crewman John Dutra made a dramatic pursuit for aid. photo gallery, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:07
‘A friend to everybody’: Sitka man killed in bear mauling remembered by colleagues
Tad Fujioka was an avid outdoorsman whose love of fishing led him to trade the engineering field for the commercial trolling one. But Fujioka, whose body was found Wednesday north of Sitka following search and rescue efforts, the victim of a bear mauling, is being remembered less for what he did and more for the type of person he was. “I mean, everybody that knew him, liked him,” said longtime friend and colleague, Norman Pillen, president of Seafood Producers Cooperative (SPC) in Sitka. Fujioka was the board chair for SPC and a big advocate for the commercial fishing industry. He was a strong family man and man of many talents, Pillen said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:04
A major fisheries advocate, Sitkan Tad Fujioka found dead in apparent bear mauling
The call that Tad Fujioka was overdue could not have come at a worse time. On the evening of October 29, Sitka and the outer coast of Southeast were being lashed by a windstorm, with some gusts in excess of 50 miles per hour. Fire Chief Craig Warren says Air Station Sitka launched a helicopter, nevertheless, equipped with Forward-Looking-Infrared (FLIR), to search an area about ten miles north of Sitka in Nakwasina Sound. Fujioka was believed to be returning to an area where he had shot a deer on Monday in much better weather and had cached part of the carcass. The shock reverberated quickly around Sitka. Norm Pillen is the President of Seafood Producers Cooperative, where Fujioka was board chair. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:47
Former North Kingstown football coach dies in water off Narragansett
A 59-year-old Narragansett man died Monday after going overboard from a boat, according to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. He was identified as Joseph Gilmartin, a longtime North Kingstown High School football coach. According to the DEM, a 911 call was received at 12:53 p.m. for a person overboard and a boat motoring in circles off Black Point in Narragansett. Environmental police officers for the DEM, the Narragansett Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard responded, the DEM said. The incident is still under investigation. Gilmartin was a history teacher, football coach and worked summers as a commercial fisherman, according to a 2019 story in The Providence Journal. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:45
Man dies after falling overboard in Narragansett
A 59-year-old man has died after falling overboard in Narragansett on Monday. The Coast Guard said they received a call reporting a man fell off of a boat shortly before 1 p.m. in Black Point. Officials said the caller reported the man was in the water, and the boat was spinning “out of control.” Police said the man was setting lobster pots when his arm got caught in a line. Crews from the Narragansett Bay Task Force, as well as the Coast Guard, were called to the scene. Video, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:12
Coast Guard seeks public assistance with hoax caller in Maine
The Coast Guard is asking for the public’s help after receiving suspected search and rescue hoax distress calls over the weekend. Between late Friday morning and early Saturday afternoon, the Coast Guard’s Northern New England command center received multiple reports about a boat in distress. Officials believe the calls likely came from somewhere near Mount Desert Island or the nearby islands. In response, the Coast Guard launched several boats and worked with three local agencies to search the area for hours. However, no boats or people in distress were found. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:10
‘Boats can be replaced, but not a human’: Peoria fisherman shares crewmate’s memorable Hurricane Milton rescue from sea
A Coast Guard crew from a Miami base rescued a commercial fisherman who rode Hurricane Milton out inside a fishing cooler. Steven Hawley of Peoria owned a boat called “Capt. Dave” that now lies at the bottom of the sea. The vessel is part of his commercial fishing company off Florida’s Gulf Coast. Hawley wasn’t in Florida when Hurricane Milton hit, but his fishing crew was. On Monday, Hawley’s employee was riding into shore when the alternator and battery on Capt. Dave died about 20 miles from St. Petersburg. According to Coast Guard District 7, a rescue boat and helicopter crew lifted two people from Capt. Dave but left the watercraft in the ocean. On Wednesday, Hawley’s crew made an effort to bring Capt. Dave in before Hurricane Milton made landfall. Hawley said his crew dropped the captain off and rode into shore. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:38
Coast Guard rescues man off Longboat Key following Hurricane Milton
A Coast Guard Air Station Miami helicopter crew rescued a man, Thursday, approximately 30 miles off Longboat Key following Hurricane Milton. The aircrew brought the man to Tampa General Hospital for further care, after he was found clinging to a cooler wearing a life jacket at approximately 1:30 p.m. Airplane and helicopter crews from Air Station Clearwater currently deployed to Aviation Training Center Mobile for storm avoidance, and Air Station Miami launched at approximately 5:30 a.m. to search for the missing captain. Monday, the captain of the fishing vessel Capt. Dave reported to Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders, at approximately 12:40 p.m., he and a crew member were disabled approximately 20 miles off John’s Pass. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 21:27
Hurricane Helene death toll climbs to 134 as search for missing in North Carolina continues
The death toll from Hurricane Helene continues to climb as rescue efforts persist across the Southeast. Hard-hit regions, including parts of western North Carolina, are receiving aid from various states as emergency crews work to reach isolated communities devastated by catastrophic flooding. The death toll attributed to Helene’s impacts has been steadily climbing, with at least 134 people now confirmed dead in six states – Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. President Joe Biden announced he will travel to the region on Wednesday and is expected to visit Asheville, North Carolina, to get a firsthand look at the devastation. Biden is also expected to visit Florida and Georgia. Photos, Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:47
Coast Guard halts voyage for illegal fishing off Key West
A Coast Guard Station Key West law enforcement boat crew boarded a commercial fishing vessel, Thursday, approximately 12 miles off the Marquesas Keys, for a routine commercial fishing vessel safety inspection and discovered the crew was fishing with an expired permit. Working with our National Marine Fisheries Service regional partners, the Coast Guard terminated the vessel’s voyage due to their possession of 45,000 pounds of pink shrimp on board without a valid commercial fishing permit. The vessel is returning to its homeport in Alabama where NMFS officers will meet with captain for further questioning. The name of the vessel is being withheld due to the open investigation. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:53
Effort builds to save historic legacy of sardine carrier ‘Jacob Pike’
At one stretch in Maine’s maritime history, the sardine was as mighty as the lobster, a fishery that employed thousands along the coast. Sardine canneries were a common sight beside busy harbors, and carriers plied the Gulf of Maine, especially in the warmer months. Thomaston was in the thick of the industry, a boatbuilding hub for sturdy fishing vessels that included the Jacob Pike. “The sardine industry back in the days was a big deal, rivaling what lobsters are today,” said Rockport Marine owner Taylor Allen, who himself spent several years restoring and then relaunching in 2020 the William Underwood, a sardine carrier built in 1941. “A lot of real estate along the coast was bought up by captains back in the day.” The Jacob Pike, built in 1949 at the Newbert and Wallace yard in Thomaston, was in the thick of it all from launching day. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:41
Coast Guard medevacs man from fishing vessel 480 miles offshore Honolulu
The Coast Guard completed the medevac of an ailing man from a commercial fishing vessel 480 miles offshore Honolulu Friday. Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu watchstanders received a call at 1:45 p.m. Monday from Pacific Fishing & Supply personnel reporting that a 53-year-old crew member aboard the 68-foot fishing vessel Autumn was exhibiting stroke-like symptoms approximately 750 miles offshore. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:09
F/V Second Chance hires salvage company to help get shrimp boat off the Port Aransas sandbars
It has now been three weeks since the ‘Second Chance’ shrimp boat washed up along the shore in Port Aransas, but it looks like it’s finally moving along! The boat has moved from the second sandbar of the beach and continues to try to make its way into deeper water. The Coast Guard said the boat’s crew said a salvage company has been hired to help dislodge it, although they did not yet have information on which company was hired or when the move is scheduled to begin. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:32
Descendant of salvaged Maine boat’s namesake wants to save it
After seven months of being submerged off the coast of Harpswell, the historic fishing boat Jacob Pike has finally been raised by the U.S. Coast Guard. But a descendant of Jacob Pike himself is fighting to save it from being destroyed. Sumner Rugh, a student at the Merchant Marine Academy in New York, is the great-great-grandson of Jacob Pike, the namesake of the refrigerated sardine carrier. His nonprofit, the Jacob Pike Organization, wants to refurbish the vessel and use it for education. But acquiring the boat has proven tricky, Rugh said. The Coast Guard towed the boat to Portland on Wednesday to be destroyed. Rugh asked the Coast Guard to donate the vessel to his nonprofit, but because the Coast Guard doesn’t own the boat, it can’t donate it. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:36
Fisherman ordered to pay $646,259 for oil spill off San Juan Island
A fishing boat captain and two deckhands died in a disastrous Oregon bar crossing. Could it have been prevented?
Joshua Porter got dressed for his job around 4 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2019, sat down at the end of the bed, buried his face in his hands and told his longtime partner he didn’t want to go. He was scared. A storm was brewing off the Oregon coast, where the Mary B II would be competing with dozens of other fishing boats in the first days of the Dungeness crab fishing season. In the handful of days he had worked on the Mary B II, Porter had become concerned. The 50-year-old captain, Stephen Biernacki, new to the Pacific Northwest’s waters, repeatedly refused advice from experienced sailors, had once ran his boat aground and seemed to be unfamiliar with the most elementary aspects of fishing for crab. “Well, why are you going?” Denise Barrett Ramirez, standing in the bedroom doorway of their Toledo home, asked him that morning. “Got bills to pay,” Porter replied. “I have to go.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:44
Cranston man arrested in Narragansett after fishing trip
A commercial fisherman from Cranston was arrested Saturday morning when the fishing boat he was working on arrived in Narragansett. Narragansett Police Sergeant Kyle Hemmerle told NBC 10 News that John Avarista, 41, was wanted on a number of felony warrants – five from Connecticut, as well as a failure-to-appear warrant from Superior Court on a charge in Rhode Island. The Coast Guard said the suspect was tipped that officials were awaiting his making landfall and he diverted to a nearby dock in an attempt to escape capture. more, >CLICK TO READ<< 20:58
The Mayday Call: How One Death at Sea Transformed a Fishing Fleet
About 40 miles east-southeast of Barnegat Light, N.J., the Jersey Pride, a 116-foot fishing vessel with a distinctive royal blue hull, was towing a harvesting dredge through clam beds 20 fathoms down when its crew found a deckhand unresponsive in a bunk. The captain suspected an overdose. After trying to revive the man, he rushed to the radio. “Yes, Coast Guard, uh, I just tried to wake a guy up and he’s got black blood in his nose,” he said, sounding short of breath on Channel 16, “I got guys working on him. Come in.” About 17 miles to the Jersey Pride’s southeast, the fishing vessel Karen Nicole was hauling back its two scallop dredges and preparing to swing aboard its catch. Mate Hollis Nevells listened to the conversation crackling over a wheelhouse radio. Nevells had lost a brother-in-law and about 15 peers to fatal overdoses. When the Jersey Pride’s captain broadcast details of his imperiled deckhand. “His last name is Murphy,” he said. Nevells understood what he heard in human terms. That’s someone’s son or brother, he thought. more,>>CLICK TO READ<< 17:08
Fishing boat rams pier, several boats near Seattle’s Ballard Bridge
Crews responded to the west end of the Ballard Bridge after a fishing vessel crashed into a pier and several other boats Wednesday afternoon. According to the United States Coast Guard (USCG), at around 10:30 a.m., a 73-foot fishing boat crashed into the pier, damaging several other moored vessels. At around 12:28 p.m., the United States Coast Guard (USCG) announced that pollution teams were at the scene, reducing any potential environmental impacts. 4 photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:41
Coast Guard, other agencies respond to sunken vessel in Seattle
The Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology and other agencies are responding to a vessel that sank at a pier in Seattle, Tuesday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a report at approximately 7:30 a.m. that the 91-foot crabbing vessel F/V North American had sunk at a pier east of the Ballard Bridge on the south side of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. To view 5 images, >>CLICK HERE<< 17:55
Daylong Effort Recovers Sinking Barge In New Harbor
In Bristol on Friday, May 3, crews worked together for more than 12 hours to protect the waters around Shaw’s Fish and Lobster Wharf and recover a barge that partially sank that morning. Members of Bristol Fire and Rescue, barge owner Tucker Phinney, of New Harbor Marine Construction LLC, responders from the United States Coast Guard Station at Boothbay Harbor, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, and salvage company Determination Marine, of Portland, worked together through the morning and afternoon to recover the craft. Phinney, who continued working on the barge until 11 p.m. that evening, is focused on getting the barge running again in order to get back to business. “We’ve got a lot of projects ahead of us,” Phinney said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:45
NTSB Report: Fire Alarm Aboard Kodiak Enterprise Never Sent an Alert
In the early hours of April 8, 2023, a fire broke out in the dry stores compartment of the fishing vessel F/V Kodiak Enterprise. The vessel was in port for a regular yard period, including cutting and welding of wasted hull and bulkhead sections. Four crewmembers from the engineering department were staying on board. On April 7, repair contractors were aboard to carry out hot work on the pilot house, hold deck, 03 deck and on a variety of vent pipe valves. The dry stores cargo hatch on the 03 level was propped open so that the workers could run a forced air ventilation hose into the interior. They finished and disembarked at about 1530 hours. The assistant chief engineer inspected the work areas after they left, and all looked to be in order. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:14
Coast Guard, other agencies respond to sunken vessel near Henry Island, Washington
The Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology, and San Juan County officials are responding to a vessel that sank Friday just west of Henry Island, Washington. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a report at approximately 6 a.m. Friday that the 48-foot commercial fishing vessel Chief Joseph was taking on water with one person and a dog aboard. The person and dog departed the vessel aboard a life raft. Click to review 6 photos in the gallery, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:56
Fishing Vessel Lady Mary Remembered 15 Years After Sinking
On March 18, 2009, the F/V Lady Mary, a 71-foot scallop boat, left Cape May Harbor for the scalloping grounds in an area known as the Elephant’s Trunk, roughly 60 miles from Cape May. The crew had nearly completed its catch when, between 5:19 and 5:39 a.m. on March 24, the boat sank. Six of the seven crew members were lost. Over the next four years, the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board completed investigations into the sinking, concluding there were multiple factors responsible. The Coast Guard filed its report on Aug. 23, 2013, saying the Lady Mary did not capsize, nor did it sink due to a fire or explosion. Despite the reported nearby presence of a container vessel named the Cap Beatrice, the Coast Guard concluded there was no evidence that any other vessel was at fault for the chain of events that eventually led to the sinking. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:35
Commercial Fisherman Juan Bueno Sanchez Found Dead in St. Petersburg, Investigation Underway
In a heart-wrenching incident off the coast of St. Petersburg, Florida, the local community and the maritime industry are mourning the loss of 45-year-old commercial fisherman Juan Bueno Sanchez. Sanchez, a dedicated shrimp boat worker, was reported missing by his concerned wife on February 23, when attempts to contact him failed for several days. This tragic discovery was made on Monday, following an intensive search operation led by the St. Petersburg Police Department and the Coast Guard. The disappearance of Juan Bueno Sanchez prompted a swift response from local authorities. Over the weekend, the St. Petersburg Police Department, in collaboration with the Coast Guard, launched a comprehensive search operation in the waters surrounding the area. more, >>click to read<< 07:50
UPDATED! Louisiana shrimper missing for 6 days survived severe weather, found alive
The United States Coast Guard says a shrimper who disappeared while trying to salvage his vessel has been found alive nearly a week later. Timothy “Blimp” Cheramie was last seen on the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 4 near Venice, Louisiana. The Coast Guard says Cheramie was reportedly trying to salvage his shrimp boat, which ran aground. Southeast Louisiana was battered by two rounds of severe weather on Monday, Jan. 8, including sustained winds of 15-25 mph gusting up to 45-60 mph, and several inches of rain over 12 hours. Photos, Video, more, >>click to read<< 14:46
Ghost boat found after its owner disappears while trying to save it, Coast Guard says
A missing man was last seen trying to salvage his shrimping boat in Louisiana, the Coast Guard said. Then his boat turned up partially sunk with no one on board. Family members haven’t seen Timothy Cheramie since the afternoon of Jan. 4, Petty Officer Third Class Anthony Randisi told McClatchy News. Cheramie was reportedly trying to save his boat. The Coast Guard initially reported he was last seen Jan. 6 trying to save his boat, but that date was later revised to Jan. 4. Coast Guard rescuers from New Orleans and Mobile are assisting in an aerial search of the Venice area, the agency said in a Jan. 9 news release. more, >>click to read<< 07:55
Photo Release: Coast Guard tows disabled fishing vessel to Adak, Alaska
The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley (WMEC 39) towed a disabled fishing vessel with eight people aboard to Adak, Monday. Alex Haley successfully towed the 127-foot fishing vessel Aleutian No. 1 into Adak and transferred to fishing vessel Erla-N. Erla-N then towed the disabled vessel into Adak where it was moored at the pier at 11:30 a.m. with the help of Alex Haley’s cutter boats. At 1:00 a.m. Saturday, the Alex Haley arrived on scene and took Aleutian No. 1 in tow before transiting over 160 miles to Adak. Watchstanders in the 17th District command center received initial notification from the master of Aleutian No. 1 at 5:57 a.m., Thursday, reporting they had fouled their prop, were unable to conduct repairs and were drifting approximately three miles north of Amchitka Island, 575 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor.3 photos, more, >>click to read<< 08:49
Coast Guard rescues six people from two disabled fishing vessels 70 miles east of Venice, La.
The Coast Guard rescued six people from two disabled fishing vessels Saturday approximately 70 miles east of Venice, Louisiana. Coast Guard Sector Mobile watchstanders received a report from a good Samaritan Friday at approximately 6:30 p.m. of fishing vessel F/V Georgia P being disabled approximately 70 miles east of Venice, Louisiana. Fishing vessel Seahorse responded to the tow of fishing vessel Georgia P. During the tow, the Seahorse also became disabled. Due to the captain aboard the Seahorse not having enough medication to get through the night, degrading weather, and poor communications, all crew members aboard agreed to be removed from their vessels. more, >>click to read<< 20:34
VIDEO RELEASE: Coast Guard rescues 2 after vessel sinks 34 miles offshore Charleston
A Coast Guard Air Station Savannah helicopter crew rescued two men, Tuesday, after their 30-foot fishing vessel capsized 34 miles offshore of Charleston. Coast Guard Sector Charleston command center watchstanders received a mayday call at 10:30 p.m., via VHF-FM channel 16 from a crew member aboard the fishing vessel stating their vessel was sinking. Watchstanders directed the launch of a Coast Guard Station Charleston boat crew and an Air Station Savannah helicopter crew to assist. Utilizing direction finding technology to triangulate the last known position, watchstanders were able to identify the vessel’s approximate location. Once on scene at the vessel’s last known position, the helicopter crew immediately located a life raft with two people aboard. Video, more, >>click to read<< 19:30
