A fishing boat carrying 2,600 gallons of fuel sank off the western shore of San Juan Island on Saturday, releasing an oily sheen that spread for 2 miles in critical habitat for the Northwest’s endangered orcas. The crew aboard the F/V Aleutian Isle radioed for help Saturday, saying they were taking on water. They abandoned their sinking ship and clambered into the skiff they normally use to maneuver the boat’s purse-like net to capture salmon. Two other salmon-fishing boats, the F/V Marathon and the F/V Intruder, rescued the five-person crew before the U.S. Coast Guard arrived. The 58-foot F/V Aleutian Isle sank to the seafloor in more than 100 feet of water about 2 p.m. How much of the boat’s fuel spilled is unknown. >click to read< 07:55
Tag Archives: Coast Guard
Coast Guard pulled 4 men from shrimp boat taking on water 11 miles south of Jamaica Beach, Texas
Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watchstanders received a notification at 1:20 a.m. from Coast Guard Station Galveston watchstanders reporting a 31-foot shrimp boat taking on water with three people aboard. Once on scene, the RB–M crew reported that the shrimp boat, the F/V Captain Alex, was 86 feet in length and had four people aboard. The shrimp boat, which reportedly sank, is reported to have a maximum potential of 17,000 gallons of diesel aboard. 5 photos, >click to read< 14:50
Video Update: Coast Guard rescues crew of sinking fishing vessel
The Coast Guard rescued two people from a sinking commercial fishing vessel Thursday approximately five miles from Engelhard, North Carolina, in the Pamlico Sound. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received notification at approximately 2 a.m. from the 35-foot fishing vessel, Heathers Breeze, stating they were taking on water. A Coast Guard Station Hatteras Inlet 47-foot Motor Lifeboat responded and transferred a crew member to the vessel to assist. The fishing vessel sank despite attempts to dewater and the mariners were taken to Station Hatteras Inlet. Video, >click here< -USCG- 13:24
Coast Guard medevacs man from commercial fishing vessel offshore Buras, Louisiana
The Coast Guard medevaced a 55 year-old-male crewmember from a commercial fishing vessel 11 miles south of Buras, Louisiana, Saturday. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a call at 8:35 p.m. from the commercial fishing vessel F/V Fatima Rose that a crewman was having trouble breathing. Sector New Orleans watchstanders coordinated the launch of Coast Guard Station Venice boatcrew to medevac the boater. >click to read< 18:04
Coast Guard medevacs Skipper from shrimp boat off Freeport, Texas
The Coast Guard medevaced a 60-year-old man from a shrimp boat Monday off Freeport, Texas. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watchstanders received a notification at 6 a.m. from the crew of the Barbara Elaine, an 81-foot shrimp boat, stating their captain was experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac. >click to read< 06:53
Adrift fishing boat rescued by Coast Guard off Hatteras
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a fishing boat that went adrift off Hatteras on Tuesday. The U.S. Coast Guard says its crews were told a 75-foot fishing trawler, F/V Ilha Do Corvo, drifted away southeast of Hatteras. They say they went to the boat’s last known location, but the trawler had drifted into the Gulf Stream and had been pushed north toward Rodanthe. WITN is told that even with limited communications with the boat, the rescuers from the station in Elizabeth City were able to locate it. The Coast Guard did not say how many people were on board at the time. Photos, >click to read< 15:14
Coast Guard: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Efforts
To improve safety in the extremely dangerous commercial fishing industry, Coast Guard examines fishing vessels’ documents and safety equipment, and conducts outreach to fishers, among other efforts. But, Coast Guard hasn’t fully implemented 17 of 22 statutory requirements to improve commercial fishing vessel safety. For example, Coast Guard hasn’t developed a training program for commercial fishers or re-established an advisory committee on industry safety issues. In addition, Coast Guard doesn’t have a detailed plan to guide their efforts to fully implement the outstanding statutory requirements. Our recommendations address this and more. >click to read< 09:12
Coast Guard, good Samaritans rescue 13 crewmen from sinking F/V Tremont 63 miles southeast of Chincoteague
The Coast Guard and two good Samaritans rescued 13 people from a sinking commercial fishing vessel Friday approximately 63 miles southeast of Chincoteague. Watchstanders with Coast Guard Sector Virginia received a mayday relay call from good Samaritan vessel RV Atlantis at approximately 2 a.m. stating the 115-foot commercial fishing vessel F/V Tremont and the 1000-foot Panamanian-flagged container vessel, MSC Rita, reportedly collided. The fishing vessel reported they were taking on water and sinking with 13 people aboard. 4 images, >click to read< 17:00
Coast Guard license bribery scheme – Pair helped more than 30 merchant mariners illegally obtain licenses
Two former Coast Guard employees were sentenced to prison Thursday for their roles in a bribery scheme that let seamen obtain merchant mariner licenses without completing the required tests. Dorothy Smith, 67, and Eldridge Johnson, 70, pleaded guilty to rigging results of safety and training tests that mariners must pass to serve on vessels, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Smith, a credentialing specialist, accepted bribes to fix exam scores for applicants who often didn’t even show up for their tests,,, In addition to Johnson, Smith and their intermediaries, 32 mariners pleaded guilty to felony charges. >click to read< 07:55
Coast Guard reports second operational fatality-free year for Alaska commercial fishing industry
The Coast Guard 17th District Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety office reported the second fatality-free commercial fishing season in Alaska for the fiscal year 2022. The first fatality-free year in the Alaskan fishing industry occurred in 2015. An operational fatality is defined as a death occurring as a result of an incident at sea, such as a man overboard, a sunken or lost vessel, or an on-deck accident, to name a few. “I give most all the credit to the fishing industry when it comes to staying safe and alive,” said Scott Wilwert, Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Coordinator, Coast Guard 17th District. >click to read<, Photos, 09:14
Coast Guard assists fishing vessel taking on water offshore Pascagoula, Mississippi
The Coast Guard assisted a vessel taking on water 51 miles south of Pascagoula, Mississippi, Sunday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard District Eight received an emergency position-indicating radio beacon at approximately 12 a.m. with a location 51 miles south of Pascagoula. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Mobile received a report of the 75-foot shrimping vessel, F/V Mr. Wood taking on water at the same position. Video, >click to read< 20:24
It takes a village: Owner of F/V Shayna Michelle stuck on beach talks about rescue efforts
The Coast Guard was called in to rescue the four-man crew after they anchored down about two miles off the coast of Myrtle Beach.”We expect it to end up on the beach, but there’s also possibilities of pumps and other things quitting, causing the boat to sink. It gets you nervous there,” Aaron Robinson, owner of the Shayna Michelle, said. The anchor line snapped during the storm, and eventually, the boat washed up on shore. Robinson said the tiring effort to get his boat back in the water was something that could only happen with dedication and lifelong friendships. The Varnam family played a big role in orchestrating the effort, along with many other locals that had the resources, manpower, and knowledge needed to make this successful. Thousands of pounds of rope and a couple of excavators made it happen. >click to read< 08:53
Large fishing boat washes ashore in Myrtle Beach during Hurricane Ian
A large commercial fishing boat washed ashore in Myrtle Beach as Hurricane Ian rages on in the Grand Strand. The boat came ashore in the area of Williams Street. According to the Myrtle Beach Police Department, no one was onboard the boat. The city said that the Coast Guard rescued the people onboard. They are urging people to stay away from the boat and there is no reason to go near it. Video, >click to watch< 19:22
Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville sets port condition Whiskey for Port of Jacksonville, Fernandina for Tropical Storm Ian
Effective 8 p.m. Saturday, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Jacksonville (COTP) set port condition Whiskey for the Port of Jacksonville and Fernandina due to the earliest Tropical Strom Fore Winds arriving within 72 hours. These ports and facilities are currently open to all commercial traffic and all transfer operations may continue while Whiskey remains in effect. If and when port condition Yankee is set, meaning sustained Tropical Storm Force winds are expected within 24 hours, vessel movement shall be restricted, and all movement must be approved by the caption of the port. The Coast Guard is warning the public of these important safety messages: >click to read< 07:32
Coast Guard medevacs crewmember from vessel near, Kodiak, Alaska
A Coast Guard aircrew medevaced a mariner Sunday near Kodiak, Alaska. A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Air Station Kodiak hoisted and transported the injured man from the 252-foot fishing vessel, F/V American Triumph, to awaiting Emergency Services Personnel at the air station. Coast Guard Sector Anchorage watchstanders received the initial request for the medevac from a crewmember aboard the vessel at 10:45 a.m., reporting that a crewmember was experiencing potential heart attack-like symptoms. >click to read< 14:00
Coast Guard medevacs fisherman near Venice, Louisiana
The Coast Guard medevaced a 55-year-old man Sunday from a fishing vessel approximately 10 miles east of Venice, Louisiana. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a call at approximately 4:00 p.m. that a crewmember aboard the fishing vessel F/V Thanh Nhut Li had reportedly sustained severe injuries to the leg. The watchstanders directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew to assist. The helicopter aircrew arrived on scene, hoisted the patient and transported him to University Medical Center in New Orleans. The crewmember was last reported in stable condition. -USCG- >Video<
Fishing vessel sinks off San Juan Island; Coast Guard responding to oil spill
All five crew members aboard the F/V Aleutian Isle were rescued by a good Samaritan as the vessel sank, the Coast Guard announced. Around 2 p.m., Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound got a report that the Aleutian Isle was taking on water near Sunset Point and was in need of emergency assistance. An Air Station Port Angeles MH-65 Dolphin helicopter, a Station Bellingham 45-foot response boat, and the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Swordfish (WPB-87358) all responded, the Coast Guard said. Once it knew that all crewmembers were accounted for, the Coast Guard started a pollution survey and began response efforts with partner agencies. Around 5 p.m., a visible oil sheen covering nearly 2 miles was seen on the water. >click to read< 07:37
Oil spill in Terrebonne Bay on opening day of shrimp season causes grief for fishermen
A Terrebonne Bay oil spill on the first day of Louisiana’s inshore shrimp season has taken a toll on some local fishermen, who say they received no warning of the incident until many hours after it occurred and as a result ended up with fouled nets and oiled boats. The Coast Guard said it was notified through the National Response Center at 3:01 a.m. Monday that a tank platform collapsed at the Hilcorp Caillou Island facility in Terrebonne Bay. “I went out on the opening and I kept pushing all that night,” said Terrebonne Parish shrimper John Sophin. “I didn’t know about the spill, nobody warned me, I didn’t know where it was at.” >click to read< 08:54
No injuries in two boat collision
On Friday, the Tomahawk, a charter fishing vessel out of Menemsha, collided with the F/V Gloria Jean, a Fairhaven fishing vessel. The U.S. Coast Guard deployed a Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod and surface vessels from Station Menemsha to assist the vessels. The Chilmark Harbormaster’s Department also responded. Petty Officer Briana Carter, a Coast Guard spokesperson, told The Times both vessels were brought back into port with, “No flooding on either vessel.” Carter also said no injuries were reported. “Don’t know if any charges will or will not be made,” she said. >10 Photos, click to read< 21:00
Coast Guard Medevacs injured mariner from vessel in Kukak Bay, Alaska
A Coast Guard aircrew medevaced a mariner on Friday in Kukak Bay, Alaska. A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak hoisted and transported the injured man from the 30-foot vessel, Wilderness 4, to awaiting Emergency Services Personnel at the air station. Coast Guard Sector Anchorage watchstanders received the initial request for the medevac from a crewmember aboard the vessel at 10:09 a.m., reporting that the master was experiencing potential stroke-like symptoms. Command center personnel directed the launch of the aircrew, who diverted from an agency assist mission to conduct the medevac. The patient was transported from the air station to Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center. -USCG- U.S. Coast Guard 17th District Alaska
Triumph II tows disabled dragger with 42,000 lbs of fish aboard through deep draft bar
The Coast Guard towed a 58-foot fishing vessel after the crew lost use of the main engine about 17 miles west of Willapa Bay Sunday. A boat crew aboard the Triumph II, a 52-foot Motor Life Boat from Coast Guard Cape Disappointment, met the crew of the fishing vessel F/V Ashlyne, a 58-foot dragger with four people and 42,000 pounds of fish aboard, and safely towed them across the Columbia River bar into Astoria, Ore. The Triumph II is one of four special purpose crafts specifically designed for the deep water bars located in the Coast Guard 13th District. The power and stability of the 52-foot Motor Life Boats make them the preferred asset for towing commercial fishing vessels across large bars, according to a Coast Guard statement. >click to read< 07:50
Coast Guard medevacs man from fishing vessel near Cold Bay, Alaska
The Coast Guard medevac’d a 28-year-old man from the fishing vessel F/V Phoenix approximately 160 nautical miles northwest of Cold Bay, Alaska, Sunday. Watchstanders at the 17th Coast Guard District command center received a report at 11:24 p.m. Saturday from the Phoenix crew that a crewmember was suffering severe abdominal pain. A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from forward operating location Cold Bay arrived on scene at 6:13 a.m. Sunday, hoisted the patient, and transported the man to Cold Bay to an awaiting Guardian flight who transported him to Anchorage, Alaska for further medical care. “The aircrews we have deployed to our seasonal forward operating locations help us to respond to these types of cases throughout Alaska,” said Lt. Lindsay Wheeler 17th District command duty officer. 16:23
Injured F/V Patricia Lee fisherman medevac’d 200 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor, Alaska
The Coast Guard medevaced a man from a fishing boat Tuesday approximately 200 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor. A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak hoisted an injured fisherman from the 117-foot, commercial fishing vessel F/V Patricia Lee at about 11:50 p.m. He was flown to Dutch Harbor and placed in the care of LifeMed personnel. Watchstanders in the 17th District command center in Juneau received the initial request for the the medevac from the F/V Patricia Lee at about 4 p.m. Tuesday. The master reported a crew member had sustained serious injuries to his pelvic region after becoming pinned by a crab pot about 225 miles west of Dutch Harbor. >Video, click to read< 15:39
Coast Guard finds serious defect in popular survival suits
Scott Wilwert is the commercial fishing vessel safety program manager for the Coast Guard in Alaska. He says the problem was discovered during a routine inspection in June. “Inspectors that were out in Bristol Bay a few weeks ago reported finding issues with relatively newly manufactured immersion suits,” Wilwert said. “And what they were finding was an area of what appeared to be a delamination, or a lack of adhesion of the glue that’s used to fix the zipper assembly to the neoprene part of the suit.” The suits are Imperial Immersion Suits manufactured by Survitec Group, a safety equipment manufacturer based in the United Kingdom,,, Wilwert says the Coast Guard isn’t sure how widespread the issue is. The problem became apparent in late June; After the Coast Guard notified Survitec, the company told the Coast Guard they had seen suits in Canada with a similar defect. >click to read< 08:02
F/V Grace Marie: ‘They knew what to do and they saved their lives’
Seven fishermen are home safe in Gloucester after their fishing vessel sank about 92 miles east of Gloucester. The crew of the trawler F/V Grace Marie were rescued by the good Samaritan gillnetter F/V Dawn T. after their boat began taking on water Friday night. The Grace Marie issued a mayday around 10 p.m. saying the boat was experiencing rapid flooding, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Noel. The Coast Guard put out an urgent marine information broadcast, asking any vessels nearby to answer the Grace Marie’s mayday. F/V Dawn T answered the call, according to the Coast Guard, and was able to bring all seven crewmen aboard and ferry them home. There were no injuries reported, Noel said. The crew arrived back in Gloucester around 1 p.m. Saturday, he said. >click to read< 18:00
Charter fishing crew reacts to saving overboard commercial fisherman’s life
A team of junior hockey players from Nashville and their dads went on a charter fishing tour with “New Beginning” early Sunday morning, when they spotted something strange. “I saw a gentleman waving,” passenger Ryan VanBuskirk said. “I said, ‘That’s a human out there!’ The United States Coast Guard said a commercial fishing boat captain fell overboard around midnight— with no life jacket. A crew member on the captain’s boat, the F/V Fiona Leone, notified the USCG around 4 a.m. Sunday that he fell overboard while the boat was on autopilot. The charter fishing group said it’s a miracle they found the man around 7 a.m. on Sunday. Video, >click to watch/read< 08:36
Coast Guard responds to man overboard of Commercial Fishing Vessel near Panama City, Fla
The Coast Guard responded to a report of a man overboard Sunday approximately 12 miles south of Panama City, Florida. Coast Guard Sector Mobile watchstanders received a notification at approximately 4 a.m. over VHF-FM channel 16 from a crewmember on the fishing vessel F/V Fiona Leone reporting that the captain of the vessel fell overboard while the vessel was on autopilot. The captain was in the water for more than four hours without a life jacket before the good Samaritan vessel New Beginnings rescued him. The Station Panama City boat crew convened with the New Beginnings and transferred the captain back to the Fiona Leone to safely navigate his vessel back into port. >click to read< 19:15
Coast Guard searching for a missing fisherman off the coast of Massachusetts
There is an active search underway off the Massachusetts coast Friday morning for a missing fisherman. The search is focused on a line between Nomans Island, which is just south of Martha’s Vineyard, and New Bedford. The Coast Guard says a crewmember from the fishing vessel F/V Susan Rose was last seen on board the boat at around midnight, and that the crew then realized he was no longer on the vessel at around 1:30 a.m. >click to read< , and >click here< 07:07
Coast Guard searches for man who went overboard off coast of Massachusetts – The U.S. Coast Guard Northeast said Friday that they are searching for a man who went overboard off the coast of Massachusetts. Fairhaven Harbormaster Timothy Cox said the active search started just after 2 a.m. on the track line between Noman’s Island and New Bedford. The vessel arrived in New Bedford at about 8 a.m. >click to read< 11:02
Fishing vessel aground in the Eastern Aleutians
Four people were on board F/V Pacific Sounder when she got stuck on the western shore of Unimak Island, between Unalaska and the Alaska Peninsula, on the morning of June 17. The Pacific Sounder hailed a MAYDAY call at 10:43 Friday morning but the crew waited three hours before they were rescued. Eventually, the Good Samaritan boat, the Polar Sea, arrived and found the crew unharmed. Littlejohn says the boat owner has hired Resolve Marine, a salvage and wreck removal company out of Dutch Harbor, to recover the boat. Resolve said the Pacific Sounder is too stuck for them to be able to tow it. Instead, they’ll have to scuttle it. >click to read< 18:47
Coast Guard aircrew medevacs fisherman from vessel near Cold Bay, Alaska
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew, forward-deployed to Cold Bay, medically evacuated a mariner from the fishing vessel F/V Golden Alaska, on Tuesday, near Cold Bay. The aircrew safely transported the 57-year-old male to Anchorage to awaiting Emergency Medical Service personnel, who then transported him to receive a higher level of care. >3 photos, click to read< 15:49
