Tag Archives: Coast Guard Sector Columbia River

Coast Guard pursues civil penalty for AIS violation

The Coast Guard is pursuing a civil penalty Friday with a maximum punishment of $41,093.00 against a commercial fishing vessel for violating Automated Identification System (AIS) regulations near the mouth of the Columbia River Dec. 3, 2022. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River detected a commercial fishing vessel deactivate its AIS while underway near the mouth of the Columbia River in violation of 33 Code of Federal Regulations 164.46(d)(2). The captain declined to accept the Notice of Violation, issued for $5,000. Now the case has been referred to a Coast Guard Hearing Officer, with a maximum penalty of $41,093.00. As this remains an active investigation, the Coast Guard is not currently releasing the name of the suspected violating vessel. >click to read< 19:29

Coast Guard halts illegal use of “paper captains” in WA-based tuna fishing operation

The Coast Guard said in a statement last week that it intervened Oct. 19 to stop the use of illegal foreign nationals on a commercial fishing vessel that operated out of the state of Washington. A Coast Guard Sector Columbia River law enforcement team inspected an 89-foot fishing vessel and determined that the vessel was in violation of the Jones Act — specifically, they were in violation for utilizing a “paper captain.” Paper captain is a term applied to an individual listed on documents as a U.S.-flagged vessel’s captain but in actuality serves as a deckhand or in a similar lower-level capacity. It is federal law that a documented vessel be under the command of a U.S. citizen. In addition to violating the Jones Act, the vessel had several safety violations, including: Degraded immersion suits; an inoperable Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) hydrostatic release; and failure to conduct safety drills. >click to read< 18:00

Astoria: Coast Guard issues warning to commercial fisherman turning off AIS

The Coast Guard has seen an alarming increase of commercial fishing and crabbing vessels disabling their AIS, purportedly in an attempt to keep their fishing spots secret from competition. “AIS is a vital tool in a host of Coast Guard missions including Search and Rescue and Port Security,” said Lt. Collin Gruin, boarding team supervisor at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. “It’s not only illegal to turn it off but also incredibly dangerous.” “Crabbers may think that they are protecting their businesses, but they are actually making search and rescue efforts more difficult if an emergency happens at sea,” >click to read< 17:17

Coast Guard rescues fisherman as commercial fishing vessel sinks near Columbia River entrance

The Coast Guard rescued a fisherman from the water Tuesday morning after his vessel began taking on water and sank near the Cape Disappointment bar. At 1:30 a.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received a VHF-FM radio mayday call from a man aboard a 37-foot commercial fishing vessel taking on water near Cape Disappointment, identified as the Fishing Vessel F/V Brejoh.  A Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew and a Sector Columbia River MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew responded. >click to read< 20:14:

Coast Guard assists 17 fishermen off Pacific Northwest Coast since Sunday

Coast Guard crews along the Oregon and Washington coasts assisted 17 fisherman in five responses since Sunday. Response efforts included crews from Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay, Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment and Coast Guard Air Facility Newport, in coordination with members at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River and Coast Guard Sector North Bend. The two-person crew aboard the commercial fishing vessel Zephyr,,, >click to read<16:51

Coast Guard medevacs ill fisherman 75 miles off Lincoln City, Oregon

An aircrew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Sector Columbia River conducts a medical evacuation of an ill fisherman 75 miles offshore of Lincoln City, Ore., July 18, 2017. The Coast Guard medevaced the fisherman off the commercial fishing vessel Kandi Dawn 75 miles offshore of Lincoln City, Oregon, early Tuesday morning. The aircrew safely hoisted the fisherman suffering from symptoms related to a heart attack and delivered the patient to the Level 1 Trauma Center at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend received the call for help from the captain of the fishing vessel Kandi Dawn at 1:30 a.m. and requested support from the Sector Columbia River aircrew and its long-range asset at 2 a.m. The Jayhawk aircrew arrived on scene with the vessel and patient at 3:41 a.m. and safely hoisted and transferred the patient to OHSU for further care at 5:50 a.m. click here for video 16:27

Coast Guard assists 6 aboard disabled fishing vessel off Long Beach, Wash.

The Coast Guard assisted a commercial fishing vessel safely back to shore after the crew of the vessel reported taking on water approximately 4 miles offshore of Long Beach, Washington, Sunday afternoon. The crew of the Tracer was uninjured and the vessel was safely moored in the Port of Ilwaco, Washington. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River Command Center received  a mayday call via satellite phone at 11:35 a.m. The original report was a loss of engine power and taking on water with six people on board. An aircrew aboard anMH-60 Jayhawk helicopter was diverted to assist but was unable to communicate with the Tracer’s crew, so they passed a radio to the crew. The aircrew remained on scene until a crew aboard a47-foot MLB from Station Cape Disappointment arrived on scene.  The MLB’s crew delivered a dewatering pump and assisted the Tracer in regaining engine power and then helped the crew control the flooding.  The vessel’s crew started back toward Ilwaco with a precautionary escort from the MLB crew once it was safe to transit. The sea conditions encountered on scene were 5-foot swells and 30 MPH winds. Link 20:07

Condition Unknown of F/V Jackpot Fisherman Knocked Unconcious When a Block Came Apart this morning 20 miles west of Gray’s Harbor, Wash

uscg-logoAt approximately 6:34 a.m., Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received a report from the fishing vessel Jackpot that a crewmember had been knocked unconscious when a block came apart and struck him in the head. It was originally reported that the man had no pulse and had stopped breathing. A federal observer who was aboard the fishing vessel performed CPR. The crewmember reportedly began breathing again, but did not regain consciousness. more@uscgnews  15:43

Allegedly inoxicated fisherman hoisted from sinking F/V Charlie & Carol off Ilwaco, Wash. coast Sunday morning – video

uscg logoCoast Guard Sector Columbia River in Astoria received a call from the only man aboard the 36-foot fishing vessel Charlie & Carol at approximately 11:30 p.m., Saturday, stating the vessel was taking on water. He estimated more than 400 gallons of water aboard the ship and reported that his pump was unable to keep up with the water coming in. continued@uscgnews

Coast Guard Sector Columbia River save a total catch of 35 tons of shrimp from spoiling Wednesday. thaaank you!

ASTORIA, Ore. — The Coast Guard came to the assistance of two fishing vessels, helping to save a total catch of 35 tons of shrimp from spoiling Wednesday. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received distress calls from the c450x269_q75rews of the fishing vessels Granada and Cap Elza near Tillamook Bay, Ore., and Depoe Bay, Ore., respectively.  Both crews reported their vessels had become disabled with a large catch of shrimp aboard. continued