Tag Archives: U.S. Coast Guard
GALLERY: Safety & Survival Class and Drill Conductor Certification at Coast Guard Station Atlantic City
On April 27, 2023, In Atlantic City, The U.S. Coast Guard and Fishing Partnership Support Services are teaming up to offer local commercial fishermen a free hands-on Safety & Survival Class and Drill Conductor Certification at Coast Guard Station Atlantic City. The day’s training is designed for all fishermen, including crewmen, to learn or hone fundamental safety and survival skills. 57 photos, >click to review< 19:50
F/V Mary B II: Coast Guard owes the public answers
It has been more than four years since the deadly capsizing of the crabbing vessel FV Mary B II while it attempted to cross the Yaquina River bar inbound in stormy weather, killing the skipper and two crew members as Coast Guard vessels were nearby. The captain had previously operated off New Jersey and wasn’t familiar with Pacific Coast conditions. At the time of the hearings, the lead Coast Guard officer said a report was expected before May 2020. However, almost four years have now elapsed since the hearing and the Coast Guard has not released its final investigation report publicly. >click to read< 11:42
F/V Kodiak Enterprise: Crews removing water, chemicals from Tacoma fishing boat before investigating cause of fire
Crews extinguished the last of the fires Friday but investigators who will look for the cause still aren’t able to set foot on the boat. Officials said a few things need to happen first, like the removal of the gas, oil, and water still on the vessel. “Right now, the biggest priority is dewatering the vessel to right it, ” said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier. The 276-foot Kodiak Enterprise still lists to one side. It’s because of the water poured into the boat to put out the flames. Getting that water and other potentially damaging chemicals off the boat is the new priority. >click to read< 07:29
Fire aboard F/V Kodiak Enterprise in Tacoma put out after burning 6 days
A fire that burned aboard a ship in Tacoma for six days has been put out. The unified command, which is made up of several local and state agencies, announced Friday that the fire aboard the F/V Kodiak Enterprise, which is owned by Trident Seafoods, is no longer burning. The next step is removing the fuel that remains on board. Once the fuel is removed, the work will become a general salvage operation, according to the Washington state Department of Ecology. Video, >click to read< 09:01
U.S. Coast Guard medevacs man from fishing vessel near Grand Isle, Louisiana
The Coast Guard medevaced a 60-year-old man from a fishing vessel Sunday near Grand Isle, Louisiana. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a call on Channel 16 at 3:06 a.m. from the fishing vessel Elvidlong requesting a medevac for a crewmember aboard who sustained injuries to one of his hands. Sector New Orleans watchstanders coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Station Grand Isle Response Boat – Medium boat crew to assist. The man was taken to University Medical Center where he was last reported to be in stable condition. >link< 16:27
F/V Mary B II: Why Coast Guard sluggishness?
It has been more than four years since the deadly capsizing of the crabbing vessel F/V Mary B II while attempting to cross the Yaquina Bay bar inbound in stormy weather on Jan. 8, 2019, killing the skipper and two crew members as Coast Guard vessels were nearby. A Coast Guard Marine Casualty Investigation board convened in Newport, May 13-17, 2019, and soon revealed the captain had alcohol and methamphetamine in his system and one crew member had cannabinoids. The captain had previously operated off New Jersey and wasn’t very familiar with Pacific Coast conditions. >click to read< 13:03 Search Results for F/V MARY B II
Vancouver Island military search and rescue crews train with U.S. Coast Guard
Crews from 19 Wing Comox are back on the ground after attending a week of specialized training in the United States, learning special techniques to get in and out of extreme ocean waves. “It was awesome to be able to train in a more realistic environment, out of our normal rules,” said Master-Cpl. Carl Mozienko of Comox’s 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron. Three pilots, two flight engineers and three search and rescue technicians, spent five days training with members of the U.S. Coast Guard down in Astoria, Oregon, near the mouth of the Columbia River. The location was chosen because of its rough seas, according to Brad Pigage, a chief aviation survival technician for the Advanced Helicopter Rescue School. Photos, >click to read< 12:47
USCGC Winslow Griesser Winslow Griesser’s commanding officer relieved of command
Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Williamsz was relieved of duties as the commanding officer of USCGC Winslow Griesser (WPC 1116), Friday. Rear Adm. Brendan C. McPherson, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District, effected the relief due to a loss of confidence in Williamsz’s ability to effectively command the cutter. Williamsz was administratively reassigned to shore duty at Coast Guard Sector San Juan immediately following a collision at sea on Aug. 8, 2022. Cutter Winslow Griesser and the fishing vessel F/V Desakata collided while underway off the coast of Dorado, Puerto Rico, resulting in the death of one of the Desakata crewmen, injury to the other, and the loss of the fishing vessel. No Coast Guard personnel were injured in the collision. >click to read< 18:58
16-hour Coast Guard tow brings F/V Miss Trish II home
The crew of a Gloucester fishing vessel spent about 12 hours adrift far from shore after its transmission failed and before the Coast Guard towed it home. Coast Guard officials, responding to an emergency call from the Miss Trish II were able to reach the boat about 75 miles offshore over the weekend and tow her safely back to port. Jim Bridges, commanding officer at U.S. Coast Guard Station Gloucester said none of the six men aboard the Miss Trish II were injured during the incident. Crew on the Miss Trish II called the Coast Guard around 5 p.m. Saturday, Bridges said, indicating the ship’s engine would not start. >click to read< 18:34
Fine quadrupled for repeat offender “paper captain” violation
Further investigation after a vessel operator declined an October notice of violation issued by the Coast Guard uncovered the operator in question had previous violations of the Jones Act. The initial fine of $3,000 has been increased to $12,968.50, the calculated average penalty for a repeat violator, said Lt. Cmdr. Colin Fogarty. “The violator, John D. Gibbs, declined it,” Fogarty said in a phone interview. “When the (notice of violation) is declined, it becomes a civil penalty.” Fogarty said enforcement elements targeted the vessel, the F/V Southern Horizon, because of information gathered. We went onboard, and the captain admitted to being a paper captain.” >click to read< 09:50
A Tribute to the Coast Guard
The F/V Atlantic Destiny, a 143-foot offshore scallop trawler, was 130 nautical miles south of Nova Scotia in March of 2021 when fire broke out on board. As a Mayday call went out just after 7 p.m., 30-knot winds and freezing spray made conditions unforgiving. Even after the fire was out, the vessel was in grave danger. It had lost power while adrift in 15-foot seas and was taking on water. The 31 crew members on the ship were at the mercy of the violent ocean. In Halifax, the Joint Rescue Coordination Center immediately sent help. Fortunately, Canadian forces had some back up: the U.S. Coast Guard. >click to read< 08:31
Fishing boat catches undetonated explosive off RI
The U.S. Coast Guard said an explosive caught by a fishing vessel Wednesday morning was detonated. According to Petty Officer Ryan Noel, the F/V Ocean State hauled up the unexploded ordnance four nautical miles off the east coast of Block Island. The vessel was instructed to anchor two miles west of Point Judith, while the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal group was called in to detonate the device. All three crew members were evacuated and a one-mile safety zone was set up around the vessel for the 9 a.m. detonation. >click to read< 20:21
Shrimp boat found capsized in Lake Pontchartrain; 1 dead, 1 injured
U.S. Coast Guard members found a capsized shrimp boat with two boaters, one dead and one injured in Lake Pontchartrain Thursday morning, according to a social media post by the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. The boat was found between the Interstate 10 twin span bridges near the St. Tammany-Orleans parish line, according to the post. The Sheriff’s Office Marine Division was notified at 5:15 a.m. that a 21-foot blue shrimping skiff that was seen launching at about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Pointe Marina in Slidell was overdue to return, with the truck and boat trailer still at the marina. >click to read< 12:25
LDWF Agents Investigating Boating Fatality in St. Tammany Parish – Victim Identified. The body of Ricky Hodgson, 72, of Pearl River, was recovered from Lake Pontchartrain around 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 22. Agents learned that Hodgson and another passenger on the boat were recreationally trawling for shrimp in Lake Pontchartrain near the twinspans when their trawl was stuck around midnight. >click to read< 17:15
NTSB Reiterates Call for Mandatory Personal Locator Beacons Following Investigation Into F/V Emmy Rose Sinking
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is reiterating calls for a personal locator beacon requirement following its investigation into the 2020 sinking of the F/V Emmy Rose that claimed the lives of four crew members off of Cape Cod. NTSB also reiterated an earlier safety recommendation to the Coast Guard to require all vessel personnel be provided with a personal locator beacon (PLB). NTSB issued that recommendation following the sinking of the cargo vessel El Faro in 2015 in which all 33 crewmembers perished. NTSB also reiterated the recommendation after the fishing vessel F/V Scandies Rose sank off Sutwik Island, Alaska, in 2019. Two of the vessel’s crewmembers were rescued; the other five were never found. >click to read< 10:37
Loose Hatch Cover May Have Caused the Loss of the F/V Emmy Rose
The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded that the capsizing of the fishing vessel F/V Emmy Rose, which went down with all hands off Massachusetts in late 2020, was likely due to an unsecured hatch cover on its lazarette, which could have allowed rapid flooding when water accumulated on deck. In the early hours of November 23, 2020, The Emmy Rose was under way off Provincetown, Massachusetts with about 50,000 pounds of fish in her holds. She was headed to Gloucester, with winds of 20 knots and following seas of about six feet in height. >click to read< 21:18
U.S. Coast Guard rescues 2 fishermen off Oregon coast
The Coast Guard rescued two fishermen from a disabled vessel offshore Oregon Sunday. Watchstanders at the 13th Coast Guard District command center in Seattle received a report at 9:21 p.m. Friday that the 66-foot fishing vessel, F/V Lodestar, lost all means of propulsion and was stranded in a storm battling 8-to-12-foot waves and over 40-knot winds approximately 180 miles offshore Coos Bay. >click to read< 06:59
Efforts to remove sunken vessel near Victoria are difficult due to conditions
A small fishing vessel remains underwater two weeks after it sank off the coast of San Juan Island, Washington, and the U.S. Coast Guard says removal efforts are difficult due to strong water conditions. On Aug. 13, the Aleutian Isle sank near the U.S. Island — approximately 25.6 kilometers east of Victoria. Dumping an estimated 9,854 litres of diesel oil, sheen covered several kilometers of water and threatened marine life while sparking a joint response between U.S. and Canadian agencies. Video, >click to read< 09:06
Divers hope to wrap up work, raise sunken fishing vessel near San Juan Island soon – Two weeks after an oil spill began off the west side of San Juan Island, divers began work that will allow them to plug a sunken fishing vessel more than 200 feet below the surface. >click to read<
F/V Aleutian Isle: Unified Command continues response to pollution incident off San Juan Island
Daily overflights have shown the amount of sheening remains minimal. This sheening is originating from periodic venting of diesel from the fuel tanks. A barge and crane are being transported from Seattle to San Juan Island to assist in raising the vessel. Additionally, due to the depth of the wreck, divers are required to use specialized gas mixtures which are currently being produced. Once mixed, the gas must settle and be tested for proportionality, and then shipped to the San Juan Island team. The crane, barge, and gas mixture are estimated to arrive later this week. Once received, removal operations will begin. >click to read< 20:10
Steps continue to remove sunken boat from seafloor near San Juan Island
Response teams continue to take gradual steps to remove the F/V Aleutian Isle from the seafloor after the 49-foot fishing vessel sank last weekend west of San Juan Island. Teams are moving forward with a plan to remove the whole commercial vessel and have it placed onto a barge, where contaminants can be safely removed, according to a Friday news release from the U.S. Coast Guard 13th District Pacific Northwest. “This is the best course of action to ensure the removal of as much pollutants and contamination as possible from the environmentally sensitive area,” the statement said. >click to read< 20:20
Sunken fishing boat shifts into deeper water in Salish Sea leaking fuel in orca habitat
An update from the U.S. Coast Guard says the 15-metre F/V Aleutian Isle has shifted since it went down Saturday off Washington state, near San Juan Island, roughly 25 kilometres east of Victoria. The vessel, loaded with about 10,000 litres of diesel and oil, was originally resting in about 30 metres of water, but U.S. officials say it is now some 60 metres below the surface. The coast guard says the added depth presents more logistical challenges that the on-scene dive team is working to resolve. Divers are also trying to gather and remove a large fishing net that has floated free of the wreck and the Coast Guard update says officials are watching the area closely even though no marine mammals have been reported nearby. >click to read< 17:55
CG Cutter Winslow Griesser, fishing vessel collide north of Dorado, Puerto Rico resulting with fatality
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser and the 23-foot commercial fishing vessel F/V Desakata were involved in a collision Monday afternoon, approximately four nautical miles north of Dorado, Puerto Rico. Following the collision, the crew of the cutter Winslow Griesser recovered the two fishermen aboard Desakata, identified as Carlos Rosario, who was fatally injured, and his brother Samuel Rosario Beltrán, who sustained injuries but survived the collision. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan were notified of the incident by the cutter Winslow Griesser crew at approximately 2:19 p.m. Monday. >click to read< 07:52
Happy Birthday USCG: Why some claim the Coast Guard is the oldest and most badass military service branch
August 4, 2022 marks the Coast Guard’s 232nd birthday. Over two centuries of continuous lifesaving, law enforcement and defense while proudly serving the United States looks good on the force. And despite the Army and Navy claiming to be the older service – they’re all wrong. So. So. Wrong. Mostly. Here’s why. When the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, the Continental Army and Navy were dissolved. Gone. Finished. Cut off! Minus two little volunteer militia units to maintain the weapons. This was largely due to the country not wanting a “standing” military, leaving it up to essentially volunteer militia and states. Seven years later on August 4, 1790 the orange and blue savior we all know and love, the United States Coast Guard, was born – though initially labeled The Revenue Cutter Service. Photos, >click to read< 15:39
F/V Gabby G: Collision with cruise ship under investigation
There will be a U.S. Coast Guard investigation into a collision early Saturday morning involving a fishing vessel out of New Bedford and a cruise ship. The F/V Gabby G, which had been fishing for whiting, was returning to port when it struck the Norwegian Pearl, which had been bound for Bermuda, according to the Coast Guard. The collision occurred at 2:25 a.m. in rainy conditions about 35 miles southeast of Nantucket. Dan Farnham, manager of vessel owner Gabby G Fisheries Inc. out of Montauk, N.Y., said there was one minor injury aboard the fishing vessel. “He’s all fine, just a little scrape,” he said. >click to read< 07:26
New Bedford Man Shares Experience on Cruise Ship Struck By Fishing Vessel
The U.S. Coast Guard determined that the New Bedford-based F/V Gabby G, a 92-foot fishing boat, slammed into the midsection of the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship 41 nautical miles east of Nantucket early Saturday, as passengers were awakened by a loud boom. New Bedford lawyer Paul Santos and his wife were in a cabin above where the collision occurred. “It’s about 2:30 in the morning when I got up because nature called. I had just made it into the restroom, when this enormous ‘bang’ sound broke the nighttime quiet and the cruise ship started vibrating from the core, >click to read< 07:29
Fishing boat strikes Norwegian Pearl cruise ship east of Nantucket
Passengers aboard a cruise ship that sails weekly out of Boston awoke to a jolt early Saturday morning when the massive vessel was struck by a fishing boat. The U.S. Coast Guard said it received a report of the collision involving the Norwegian Pearl at 2:25 a.m. A spokesperson said a fishing boat, F/V Gabby G, struck the Pearl’s midsection about 41 nautical miles east of Nantucket. The vessels were operating in rainy conditions at the time of the collision. Coast Guard officials said damage to the cruise ship was minimal, but the fishing vessel was significantly damaged. One person aboard the Gabby G suffered a laceration. Video, >click to read< 08:01
Cruise Ship Hits Fishing Boat – A cruise ship bound for Bermuda was delayed after striking a fishing vessel off the coast of Nantucket on Saturday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Norwegian Pearl was “thoroughly assessed” and given clearance by the Coast Guard to continue on her seven-day voyage as planned, the spokesperson said. The Gabby G, however, reported some damages to the bow and was towed to New Bedford, arriving around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, >click to read<
Body found on West Island, believed to be missing fisherman
The U.S. Coast Guard says a body found on West Island yesterday, is believed to be the body of a missing fisherman. Around 1:30 a.m. on July 1st, crew members of the commercial fishing vessel F/V Susan Rose noticed one person wasn’t on board, according to Petty Officer Ryan Noel. F/V Susan Rose is a 77-foot fishing vessel based out of Point Judith that normally has four crew members on board, Noel said. Massachusetts State Police and the Medical Examiner are investigating. The victim has not been officially identified at this time. >click to read< 20:26
Missing shrimper identified as La Feria resident
A missing shrimper last seen on South Padre Island has been identified as 35-year-old Christopher Vargas from La Feria. According to a release from the U.S. Coast Guard, Vargas fell from a shrimp trawler 35 miles off the coast of South Padre Island early Saturday morning. Vargas was last seen wearing a tank top and shorts. He was not wearing a life vest when he fell overboard. His aunt Leticia Vargas said it is uncertain what happened to Christopher. She said going offshore to catch shrimp was a traditional job for him. “This was his way of getting money for back to school, that’s what his wife was waiting for, that’s what the kids were waiting for, that’s what his intentions were for him to go out there, he’s been doing this for years,” she said. >Video, click to read< 07:00
U.S. Coast Guard: Search suspended for missing commercial fisherman off South Padre Island, Texas
The Coast Guard has suspended its search Sunday for a 35-year-old fisherman who went missing off South Padre Island, Texas, Saturday. Coast Guard crews searched approximately 1,903 square miles for over 32 combined hours. Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi command center watchstanders received a call at 5 a.m. Saturday on VHF-FM channel 16 from the master of the 65-foot commercial fishing vessel F/V Santa Fe stating one of his crew members was missing 35 miles offshore Land Cut. The man was reportedly not wearing a life jacket at the time of his disappearance. >click to read< 18:21
Coast Guard searching for missing commercial fisherman off South Padre Island, Texas
The Coast Guard is searching for a missing 35-year-old fisherman in the water off South Padre Island, Texas, Saturday. Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi command center watchstanders received a call at 5 a.m. on VHF-FM channel 16 from the master of the 65-foot commercial fishing vessel F/V Santa Fe stating one of his crew members was missing 35 miles offshore Land Cut. Missing is a 5-foot, 10-inch tall, 150-pound Latino male last seen wearing a tank top and shorts. The man was reportedly not wearing a life jacket. >click to read< 11:41
‘He kept my head up. He’s the hero’: Three survive sinking of fishing boat in Southeast Alaska
Howard Starbard knew he had a problem when the pumps couldn’t keep up with the water pouring into his 37-foot commercial fishing boat, Miss Amy. The 63-year-old retired Alaska State Troopers commander couldn’t know he was about to spend 45 minutes in the sea, fighting to stay afloat before a relative, two Good Samaritan vessels and the U.S. Coast Guard intervened to help him survive his boat’s sinking off the Southeast Alaska community of Pelican. Starbard was power trolling for king salmon during a commercial opener Monday with his 13-year-old grandson and 35-year-old nephew about three miles off the west coast of Chichagof Island. It was the first day the Miss Amy had been out all summer. Then the high-water alarm sounded. >click to read< 16:11
