Tag Archives: U.S. Coast Guard
Coast Guard to remove Maine fishing boat that sank in January storm
According to a memo from Harpswell Harbor Master Paul Plummer dated July 9, the owner of the decades-old wooden fishing vessel, the Jacob Pike, “has made no attempt to recover the vessel and is currently involved in the judicial process for abandonment of watercraft.” “The [Coast Guard] and its contractors are hoping to have the vessel removed in the coming weeks but are currently waiting for the salvage plan to be finalized,” the memo states. The harbor master’s office will be present for the removal. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:40
Seiner goes aground in Anita Bay; all five crew rescued
Coast Guard Sector Southeast got a call Tuesday, shortly before 10 a.m., that the Petersburg-based seiner the F/V Pamela Rae was taking on water in Anita Bay, located on Etolin Island near Wrangell. The call came from the F/V Confidence, relaying a call from their sister fishing vessel F/V Barbara which was on the scene and providing Samaritan support, said U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Matt Naylor. The Pamela Rae was taking on water fast and was rolling over. It had five people on board. All of them safely made it off the vessel. A Wrangell Ranger District Forest Service vessel heard the radio and headed to the area right away. more, >> CLICK TO READ<< 09:50
Petersburg seiner overturns in Anita Bay; one crew member injured
A Petersburg seiner overturned just south of Wrangell in Anita Bay at about 10 a.m. this morning. Multiple entities responded – the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Forest Service, and Wrangell Search and Rescue helped evacuate all five crewmembers aboard the 58-foot F/V Pamela Rae. The crew made it out unharmed, except for one person who sustained a minor injury. Lieutenant Matt Naylor, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard, said they don’t know what caused the Pamela Rae to overturn, but it could have been a mechanical problem. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:05
Sunken fishing vessel raised, fuel offloaded at Henry island
The 48-foot commercial fishing boat, called Chief Joseph, went down on May 3 after taking on water west of Henry Island, just over the U.S. border about five kilometres from Sidney Island. A man and a dog were rescued from a life raft on shore by the U.S. Coast Guard at about 6 p.m. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter aircrew conducted a flight over the area and reported a 90-metre sheen on the water and a debris field from the sunken vessel. Absorbent booms were laid to capture most of the fuels. Salvage operations got underway last week with divers from Global Diving and Salvage using a pump truck on board a barge to retrieve about 1,900 litres of diesel fuel from the Chief Joseph’s tanks. 3 Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:53
Man found dead inside fishing boat that hit rocks near Point Reyes
A Half Moon Bay man was found dead after his fishing boat crashed into rocks Thursday afternoon near Point Reyes, officials said. The Coast Guard sent a rescue swimmer to the wrecked boat, The Westerly. The swimmer could see someone inside but could not get into the cabin. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office sent rescue helicopter Henry 1 to the boat near Chimney Rock, and a paramedic and tactical flight officer descended by rope onto the boat as waves battered it and it was listing on its side. The damaged boat then began to sink. The helicopter rescue crew broke into the boat’s cabin where they found the man dead. He was later identified as Matthew Paul, 49. The crew extracted Paul’s body and it was airlifted to the Marin County Coroner’s Office, which continues to investigate his cause of death. Video, more, <<click to read<< 11:42
1 person found dead on crashed fishing boat at Point Reyes
A person was found dead in a crashed fishing boat found by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Helicopter Unit (Henry-1) on Thursday. At around 4:30 p.m., Henry-1 responded to calls of a boat that crashed into the rocky shoreline near Chimney Rock in Point Reyes. A rescue swimmer from the U.S. Coast Guard was deployed and located a person in the boat. However, the swimmer was unable to access the cabin without breaching equipment, the sheriff’s office said. Video, more, >>click to read<< 19:29
Coast Guard Refuses to Enforce California’s New Environmental Regulation
The state of California is once again proving that it is a far-left outlier, and now even the U.S. Coast Guard won’t enforce one of the state’s outrageous new regulations because of “safety concerns” waiting to befall ships at sea. The Coast Guard sent an official letter dated Feb. 21 to the California Air Resources Board to inform state officials that the branch will not penalize ships for lacking a new diesel exhaust particulate filter on their engines as required by a new state regulation. Adm. Sugimoto also pointed out that the diesel particulate filters (diesel exhaust particulate filter) called for by the CARB have not been approved for use by the Coast Guard or the federal government. more, >>click to read<< 07:06
A sunken historic fishing boat is leaking fuel off Maine’s coast
Harpswell officials are working to raise a historic 83-foot fishing boat that’s been leaking oil in the New Meadows River after it was sunk by one of the twin storms that hit Maine’s coast in January. But it’s unclear who would pay for that work or how quickly it could happen. It’s also questionable whether a new owner would be able to save the boat once it’s recovered, although a relative of its original owner is making a longshot effort to do so. First built in 1949 by Newbert & Wallace in Thomaston, the Jacob Pike was a refrigerated vessel used to fish for and transport sardines. After the collapse of Maine’s sardine industry in the 1950s, the vessel was used to transport lobster, then pogies. more, >>click to read<< 09:30
Vancouver Island fishermen to be honored for daring sea rescue
As Ryan Planes was in the middle of setting out his fishing gear off the West Coast of Vancouver Island in October, he noticed a bright orange speck about half a kilometre away. Upon first glance, he mistook it for ocean debris. Then, as he peered through his binoculars, he identified a life-raft, with a man waving a paddle, signalling for help. A few moments later, the man set off what was his last flare. The crew of five people on the Ocean Sunset, including Capt. John Planes (Ryan’s uncle), had found a mariner who had been adrift at sea on a life raft for almost two weeks. more, >>click to read<< 16:40
U.S. Coast Guard performs medevac recuse off coast of Nantucket for injured crew member
The U.S. Coast Guard performed a medevac recuse off the coast of Nantucket for an injured crew member on Thursday. According to the Coast Guard, the fishing vessel F/V Rachel Leah was 150 nautical miles off Nantucket when a crewman sustained facial injuries. The victim was described as a 50-year-old with a large laceration. The Coast Guard says a tight line struck him in the face. Video, >>click to read<< 06:01
F/V Aleutian Storm: Wind and waves claim most of grounded fishing boat near Bodega Bay
No one thought it would happen this fast, but the fate that everyone feared for the once proud Aleutian Storm has come to pass. Stranded on Sonoma Coast State Beach amid powerful storms and thrashing waves just 12 days ago, the 58-foot fishing boat has been reduced to little more than a gashed and battered hull. The vessel has been torn apart piece by piece — the mast, the pilot house, the cabin, the decking — resulting in a debris field that now encompasses much of North Salmon Creek Beach, as well as the south. Bits of foam rubber and Styrofoam are scattered far and wide. The boat also appears to have leaked all or most of the diesel fuel still left on board after an attempt to drag it out of the surf and onto the beach failed on Friday. Video, Photos, more, >>click to read<< 19:48
F/V Aleutian Storm: Unified Command transitions authority of response for the grounded vessel near Bodega Bay
The U.S. Coast Guard and California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (CDFW-OSPR) transitioned the authority of lead responding agency to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA’s GFNMS) Monday. NOAA’s GFNMS will lead the oversight of salvage operations in coordination with state and local agencies and the vessel’s owner. The Unified Command determined that pollution removal operations would be unsafe due to weather conditions and the degraded condition of the vessel. With the current safety concerns, the determination was then made to shift to salvage operations. more, >>click to read<< 06:42
Workers begin salvaging a fishing boat that wrecked in Saturday’s storm
The F/V Tara Lynn II will never float again. On Saturday, the ferocious storm battering the state’s coast drove the 50-foot fishing vessel onto the rocks at Trundy Point just after midnight. Grinding against an unmerciful ledge, the Terra Lynn II’s fiberglass belly shattered, scattering its engine, 500 gallons of diesel fuel and 5,000 pounds of fish all over the coast. Now, the cleanup is underway. Parker Poole and his company, Determination Marine, are in charge. Poole also heard the ship’s mayday call when it went out Saturday morning. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 07:50
Fishing vessel aground off coast of Cape Elizabeth
A fishing vessel ran aground early Saturday morning, just as a powerful storm system was arriving in Maine. A mayday call was issued shortly after midnight, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed with NEWS CENTER Maine, and the Cape Elizabeth Fire-Rescue was able to get to the scene by about 1:20 a.m. There was no information as of 11 a.m. whether any injuries were reported, and it was not clear yet why the crew was out in the storm at midnight. All four people onboard the Tera Lynn II, a 50-foot boat, were rescued by a skiff via a Water Extrication Team with the Cape Elizabeth Fire Department. more, >>click to read<< 12:52
Flooded Engine Room Caused Fishing Vessel to Sink
Uncontrolled flooding through a hole in the plating beneath the engine room of a fishing vessel led to its sinking in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. The commercial fishing vessel Captain Alex was fishing offshore of Galveston, Texas on Nov. 25, 2022, when the vessel began flooding. The four crewmembers on board were unable to stem the flooding and evacuated to a responding U.S. Coast Guard boat. The sinking resulted in an oil sheen and debris field; a reported 17,000 gallons of diesel fuel were on board. There were no injuries. The Captain Alex was a total loss valued at $500,000. more, >>click to read<< 14:50
Search suspended for Maine missing fisherman
The search for a missing fisherman off the coast of Kennebunkport, Maine, has been suspended. The search for Scott Cluff was suspended Friday evening after crews scoured more than 700 square nautical miles. “Suspending a search for a family’s loved one is one of the hardest decisions I must make,” Capt. Amy Florentino said in the press release. “My deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends during this difficult time.” Cluff’s overturned 12-foot aluminum skiff was discovered early Friday morning, as well as several other items associated with his boat, including life jackets, a seat and a fish measuring device. >>click to read<< 08:34
Limits on ratio of fisherman decried
Gloucester Capt. Salvatore “Sam” Novello who has fished the waters off Gloucester for most of his life, is saying while he can fish, some foreign-born fishermen cannot. A member of the Gloucester Fisheries Commission, Novello said this week the U.S. Coast Guard has recently begun to strictly enforce a rule that limits the number of immigrants who are allowed to fish. The measure, the 75-25 rule, requires that 75% of those crews fishing must be American while only 25% can be foreign. In other words, for every four fishermen, three must be native born and only one can hail from another country. Novello blasted the rule as burdensome, saying it only contributes to a slew of other regulations and fishing limits already imposed by NOAA Fisheries that hamper the fishing industry. “Today, all fishing operations can’t find enough help to go fishing,” he said. “ >>click to read<< 07:21
Coast Guard helicopter crash in Southeast Alaska injures 4 crew members
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crashed late Monday on an island in Southeast Alaska, and all four people aboard survived, officials said. The Sitka-based MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crashed on Read Island during a search and rescue mission, U.S. Coast Guard Alaska wrote in a statement Tuesday. The crew members were being treated for serious injuries, the statement said. A crashed on Read Islandfishing vessel reported the crash around 11:05 p.m., according to the statement. The boat had been flooding and was receiving help from the Coast Guard. Two Coast Guard cutters responded to the area to help the flooding fishing vessel and established a security zone around the helicopter crash, the statement said. This is a developing story. >>click to read<< 15:59
Survivor From Lost Fishing Boat Saved After Coast Guard Ended Search
This week, the U.S. Coast Guard ended searches for two commercial fishing vessels that each disappeared without a trace, one in Washington and another in Georgia. The Washington case ended in a miracle: a crewmember was found alive after formal search efforts had ended. On Tuesday, Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor announced that it had launched a search for a 43-foot commercial fishing vessel, the Evening, which was nine days overdue. Miraculously, one crewmember of the Evening survived and was found by a good Samaritan vessel on Thursday morning – a day after the formal search ended. He was floating in a life raft off the west coast of Vancouver Island, near Tofino. The whereabouts of the other crewmember are not known. On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended a search for a commercial fishing vessel F/V Carol Ann that had gone missing with three crewmembers off the coast of Brunswick, Georgia. >>click to read<< 07:15
Fish Factory Vessel Leaking Ammonia in Tacoma
A 77-year-old fish factory vessel with a checkered history is reportedly leaking ammonia in Tacoma, Wash. The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it is responding to the incident on board the U.S.-registered Pacific Producer, a 169-foot-long seafood processing vessel with a long string of health and safety violations. Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology crews in HAZMAT suits are currently working to locate leak. The vessel poses no immediate threat to the public, and air quality is being monitored, the Coast Guard said. Pacific Producer usually works in the Alaskan fishing industry but has been docked in Tacoma for about a year following a number of serious violations. >click to read< 17:35
Search suspended for missing fisherman off Nantucket coast
The search for a missing fisherman who went overboard about five miles south of Nantucket has been suspended after roughly two days, according to multiple news outlets. On Sunday night, Aug. 13, the Coast Guard suspended the search for the fisherman, who was reported missing from a squid boat called F/V Gaston’s Legacy. It is unclear if the missing fisherman was wearing a life jacket when he went overboard, the Nantucket Current said. F/V Gaston’s Legacy is an 88-foot fishing boat from New Bedford. >click to read< 11:24
Long-sunken trawler leaks diesel fuel into Mackerel Cove
A trawler that sank to the bottom of Mackerel Cove, Bailey Island, in the 1990s leaked diesel fuel into the cove on Monday, July 10. A local diver plugged the leak late Monday afternoon and the U.S. Coast Guard plans to pump out the rest of the fuel, according to Harpswell Harbor Master Paul Plummer. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Department, and U.S. Coast Guard Station South Portland responded to assist. But it was local diver Alex Lund who stopped the leak around 5 p.m., using marine putty and other materials. The fishing vessel Miss Plum was the source of the leak, according to Plummer. >click to read< 07:50
Gloucester: Fishing boat’s exhaust sets it afire
No one was injured but a fishing vessel was damaged when it caught on fire Sunday morning. At 9:27 a.m. on Sunday, July 2, the Gloucester Fire Department received a report of a boat fire at Captain Joe and Sons, 95 East Main St. Upon arrival, firefighters discovered smoke coming from the Pivot and attempted to gain access, however, another boat was obstructing firefighters from being able to, according to a statement from fire Chief Eric Smith. The owner of the other boat quickly arrived to move it, allowing for firefighters to board the Pivot. 2 photos, >click to read< 07:46
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
