Tag Archives: US Coast Guard
Missing Milbridge man’s family thanks community for continuing search efforts
A Downeast community is grieving as they once again search for one of their own who went missing on the water. Family members of a missing Milbridge man say they won’t stop searching until they bring him home. 51-year-old Alton Wallace went missing in the area of Narraguagus Bay Sunday. Wallace was reported missing by a family member after he did not return from harvesting clams. The Marine Patrol used Wallace’s last cell phone ping to determine a location for the search. The US Coast Guard suspended their search efforts Monday morning, but the Marine Patrol is still searching with State Police, the Maine Warden Service, and local fishermen. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:55
Friends share memories of Newport fishing boat captain, missing after ship capsized
Friends of a Newport fishing boat captain feared dead after his vessel capsized off the Washington coast are sharing stories of the beloved husband, father and friend as the community tries to come to terms with the tragedy. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three other crew members who they pulled from the water Friday, but the Coast Guard said the captain, Jon Stevenson, appeared to go down with the 68-foot F/V Captain Raleigh off the coast of Westport Friday morning. The Coast Guard said a distress call reported the vessel was taking on water, and pumps were not keeping up with the water. Commercial fisherman Kyle Retherford spent years working with Stevenson, and he echoed the sentiment, saying that spending days at a time on a boat together meant his crewmates really got to know him as a person. “He was selfless in a way, because he cared so much for other people and his family. He loved his family, and it was inspiring,” he said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:02
A GoFundMe page for the family of Jon Stevenson – An outstanding man who spent his life taking care of and entertaining all with his wicked sense of humor, Jon was deeply cherished by everyone who knew him. More importantly, he has always been an exceptional husband to Jennifer and father to Bella, Ava, and Larry. They were his priority and his greatest joy. Photos, >>CLICK TO READ<< and please donate if you can.
Salvage operation begins for sunken fishing boat; captain still missing
A commercial salvage team is working on a plan to recover a sunken fishing boat near Grays Harbor. On Friday night, the Coast Guard suspended a search for its missing captain. Earlier in day, a lifeboat crew from Grays Harbor and an air crew from Astoria, Oregon rescued three others who were on board. The 68-foot fishing boat known as the “Captain Raleigh” capsized at around 8:15 a.m. near the bar at the entrance to Grays Harbor. The fishing boat crew told rescuers the captain was still aboard the ship when it sank near the Grays Harbor bar entrance. The Coast Guard actively searched for the captain for several hours, but called off the search at 8:40 p.m. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:27
Coast Guard suspends search for man near Westport, Wash.
The Coast Guard suspended its search at 8:40 p.m. Friday for the 44-year-old captain aboard the 68-foot fishing vessel, Captain Raleigh, where it sank near Westport, Wash. Three people who were aboard the vessel were rescued from the water by a rescue boatcrew from U.S. Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor. The Captain Raleigh was underway Friday morning when the vessel master issued a distress call around 8:15 a.m. stating they were taking on water and the onboard pumps could not keep up. Watchstanders at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia immediately issued a Urgent Marine Information Broadcast for anyone in the area to render assistance. They also dispatched rescue boatcrews from Station Grays Harbor and an aircrew from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Astoria. A good Samaritan vessel pulled alongside the Captain Raleigh a few minutes after the distress call to provide a dewatering pump. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:39
Medical Examiner Confirms Identity of Recovered Body
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner has positively identified the body recovered Sunday from the sunken fishing vessel F/V Sudden Impact as Chester Barrett of South Addison. Chester’s body was recovered after a search that began Saturday, January 18th when he and his son Aaron were reported missing. The two had been transiting from Edmunds to South Addison on board the Sudden Impact when it sank in 160 feet of water about three-quarters of a mile southwest of Moose River in eastern Washington County. Maine Marine Patrol will continue periodic patrols in the area with the goal of locating Aaron, who was not found on board or near the sunken vessel. “We share our condolences with the family and friends of Chester and Aaron during this difficult time,” said Marine Patrol Captain Colin MacDonald. 10:17
Volunteers recover body from missing Maine fishing boat ‘Sudden Impact’
The Department of Marine Resources says that divers found a body inside the cabin of the fishing boat “Sudden Impact,” which has been missing, along with its two passengers, for weeks. Two fishermen from South Addison, Chester Barrett and his son Aaron, reportedly sank in the Sudden Impact on January 18th as the two traveled from Edmunds to South Addison. The volunteer divers came from all over to aid the search, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Among them are Chris Ogden, Richard Simon, Bob Foster, Mark Bowers, and Harold Moyers, with surface support from Eric Simon. more, <<CLICK TO READ<< 07:06
Body Recovered from Fishing Vessel Sudden Impact.
On Sunday February 2, 2025, at approximately 7:00 a.m. a team of highly-skilled volunteer divers located and recovered a body from inside the cabin of the fishing vessel Sudden Impact. The recovered body has been transported to the medical examiner’s office for formal identification. The Maine Marine Patrol along with local fishermen and the Maine State Police/Marine Patrol Underwater Recovery Dive Team have been working to recover the body since it was first located on January 23rd inside the vessel. The F/V Sudden Impact, with Chester Barrett and his son Aaron, fishermen from South Addison, sank Saturday January 18th when the two were transiting from Edmunds to South Addison. “Throughout this difficult process, the Barrett family has led the mission to recover Chester and Aaron, supported by numerous local fishermen,” said Marine Patrol Captain Colin MacDonald. “The volunteer dive team showed exceptional skill in difficult conditions. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:28
Divers searched for missing Maine fishermen on Saturday
The family of two fishermen who went missing off the coast of Downeast Maine a week ago is hoping divers will recover the bodies of Chester Barrett and his son, Aaron Barrett, Saturday. On Wednesday night, officials located the Barretts’ fishing vessel, “Sudden Impact,” submerged in 160 feet of water near Moose Cove, between Cutler and Lubec. Commercial divers, Maine Marine Patrol officers, and volunteer fishermen were in the area Saturday afternoon to assist in the recovery efforts, according to the family. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:41
Fishing vessel pulled free from rocks, Coast Guard begins investigation
Unalaska’s U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit is investigating a fishing vessel that ran aground near Iliuliuk Bay. The F/V Northern Endurance was partially beached about three miles from downtown Unalaska, near Little Priest Rock on Thursday and was pulled free by the emergency response and salvage company Resolve Marine Friday morning around 9 a.m., according to Commanding Officer Lt. Lawrence Schalles.The City of Unalaska Fire Department initially responded to the incident Thursday afternoon, before handing operations over to the local Coast Guard team. “The on-scene commander contacted the vessel captain and confirmed there were no injuries to crew members aboard, as well as no additional hazardous conditions,” the Fire Department said in a statement. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:06
Dive Team Confirms Identify of Fishing Vessel “Sudden Impact
South Addison – At approximately 11 p.m. Wednesday, the State Police/Marine Patrol Underwater Recovery Dive Team, assisted by local fishermen, took advantage of “slack water” and utilized a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) equipped with sonar and a camera to confirm the identity of the sunken fishing vessel “Sudden Impact.” The vessel is located in 160 feet of water near Moose Cove in eastern Washington County between the towns for Cutler and Lubec in an area of strong tidal current activity. Using the ROV, crews were able to observe what is believed to be the body of an individual on board the vessel. Recovery was not possible as of last night. Chester Barrett and his son Aaron, fishermen from South Addison, have been missing since Saturday evening when the two failed to return as expected after transiting on board the “Sudden Impact” from Edmunds to South Addison. The Maine Marine Patrol will continue to work with family members of the Barretts to determine next steps, including consultation with deep water salvage and recovery experts to determine whether a recovery effort is feasible. Maine Department of Marine Resources. 12:09
Marine Patrol Continues Search Effort for South Addison Commercial Fishermen
The Maine Marine Patrol today will continue its search efforts on shore and on the water between Lubec and South Addison for Chester Barrett and his son Aaron Barrett, commercial fishermen from South Addison. The two men were reported missing Saturday evening by a family member when they failed to return as expected after transiting from Edmunds to South Addison. They were on board Chester’s fishing vessel F/V Sudden Impact. Marine Patrol began its search Saturday evening and resumed it Sunday, temporarily postponing search efforts both days due to poor visibility. Using sonar, local fishermen were able to locate an object that might be a vessel Sunday in 160 feet of water near Moose Cove at the mouth of the Moose River. Efforts by local fishermen to recover it Sunday were halted by the US Coast Guard due to safety concerns but are planned to resume today. In addition to its search efforts, Marine Patrol will be on-scene during recovery efforts to provide support. link 10:05
Officials suspend search for two fishermen who went missing in Downeast Maine
The U.S. Coast Guard has officially suspended the search for two commercial fishermen who were reported missing after they did not return to port on Saturday night. Chester Barret and his son Aaron Barrett were on board their fishing vessel F/V Sudden Impact. They planned to travel from Edmunds to South Addition. The 34-foot scallop vessel left Cobscook Bay State Park around 5 a.m. Saturday. After encountering rough conditions, they planned to seek refuge in Cutler but became unreachable, according to authorities. On Sunday night at 6 p.m. the search was called off. The Coast Guard said they searched for more than 42 hours combined and 950 square miles of ocean and coastline with the help of Marine Patrol and other agencies. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:10
Multiple agencies are searching for two fishermen who went missing in Northern Maine
Maine Marine Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard are searching for two commercial fishermen who were reported missing after they did not return to port. Chester Barret and his son Aaron Barrett were on board their fishing vessel F/V Sudden Impact. They planned to travel from Edmunds to South Addition. The 34-foot scallop vessel left Cobscook Bay State Park around 5 a.m. EST Saturday. After encountering rough conditions, they planned to seek refuge in Cutler but became unreachable, according to authorities. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:51
Marine Patrol Searching for South Addison Fishermen
The Maine Marine Patrol is searching for Chester Barrett and his son Aaron Barrett, commercial fishermen from South Addison, who were reported missing yesterday evening by a family member when they failed to return as expected after transiting from Edmunds to South Addison. The two were on board Chester’s fishing vessel “Sudden Impact.” Marine Patrol launched a search on the water and shoreline between Lubec and South Addison last night at approximately 7 p.m. Marine Patrol was joined in last night’s search by the US Coast Guard and local fishermen. Last night’s search was postponed due to poor visibility but will resume this morning, focusing again on the coastline between Lubec and South Addison. link 09:34
Fire at sea: US Coast Guard rescues two from commercial boat fire near Salish Sea
The U.S. Coast Guard, Puget Sound Sector rescued two from a life raft after a fire broke out on the commercial boat they were on. On Tuesday, the Sector Command Center of the U.S. Coast Guard received a call from a boat about 3 nautical miles from Cape Flattery reporting a fire on board. Five miles off Tatoosh Island, near the Makah Tribal Reservation, the F/V Tarka II reported an emergency before abandoning the boat and getting onto a life raft. A Motor Lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Neah Bay rescued the two people in the raft and brought them back to shore. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:24
Staffing Shortages Cause Coast Guard Canal Station To Cut Service Hours
The Cape Cod Canal Coast Guard Station at the Sandwich Marina will no longer support search and rescue 24/7. Staffing shortages have forced the Coast Guard to cut the station’s hours to eight hours a day, five days a week. The Coast Guard is currently facing the largest workforce shortage in its 233-year history, Coast Guard First District spokeswoman Lieutenant Samantha Corcoran said. The Coast Guard is anticipating shortages to worsen; they have already begun to impact frontline operations and readiness. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:25
Coast Guard, partners rescue 14 boaters in active week off Florida’s Suncoast
Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg crews responded to multiple cases throughout the week after receiving, a combined, 17 distress and marine safety calls. Throughout the week, Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders received requests for help from several disabled vessels resulting in the rescue of 14 boaters. In one case, an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon alert and mayday call were made, allowing a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater aircrew to locate the vessel. Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders received a mayday call, Friday, April 12, around 11 p.m., from three people reporting that their 47-foot commercial fishing vessel was sinking, 1 mile southwest of Johns Pass. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:54
Six missing workers presumed dead after Baltimore bridge collapse, US Coast Guard says
A desperate search was launched to try and trace six construction workers who plunged 185ft into the cold waters below the bridge. Given the time they have been missing and the water temperatures, the workers are presumed to have died. The Coast Guard will now suspend its search and rescue mission and instead focus on a recovery mission. “We do not want to injure any of these first responders in this recovery effort,” an official said. It comes after harrowing close-up video footage has emerged of the moment Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by a container ship. The ship, the Singaporean flagged Dali, was only 20 minutes into its journey when it slammed into a support column on the bridge. photos, video, more, >>click to read<< 07:09
Fisherman is seriously injured when boat runs aground in Santa Barbara
A fisherman suffered a serious head laceration and was taken to the hospital Wednesday evening after his lobster boat ran aground in Santa Barbara, according to the Santa Barbara City Fire Department. Only one person was aboard the 25- to 30-foot Martha Jane, which ended up on the shoreline below Mesa Lane, fire Battalion Chief Jim McCoy told Noozhawk. The details of the incident were unclear, McCoy said, but the man apparently became trapped somewhere on board and was unable to control the vessel, McCoy said. more, >>click to read<< 11:17
F/V Aleutian Storm: A Race Against Time for Salvage and Environmental Protection
When the F/V Aleutian Storm, a 57-ton fishing vessel laden with Dungeness crab, ran aground at south Salmon Creek Beach on February 9th, it caught the attention of not just local authorities but also the concerned public eye. This wasn’t your ordinary maritime misadventure. The vessel, now a week into its ordeal, faces a grim future. Buffeted by relentless waves and ensnared by its own catch, the Aleutian Storm’s plight is a stark reminder of the ocean’s unforgiving nature. With salvage operations on the horizon, the clock ticks against both the vessel’s structural integrity and the environmental sanctity of the California coast. The community watches with bated breath as salvage operations prepare to unfold. The vessel’s fate hangs in the balance, with the risk of the ocean tearing it apart looming large. more, >>click to read<< 17:52
F/V Aleutian Storm: Coast Guard working to free 57-ton fishing boat grounded near Bodega Bay
The Coast Guard says the vessel ran aground during rough seas Friday night. The ‘re-floating’ mission is urgent before the boat becomes a pollution hazard from leaking fuel. By air, land and sea, there’s a major operation happening on a Sonoma County beach. Dozens of people working to get the 58-foot Aleutian Storm back into the Pacific. Trouble is, she’s stuck in several feet of sand. The Coast Guard said the plan Monday was to attach a tow line between to the Aleutian Storm and a tug boat offshore and pull her off the beach when the tide comes in. Video, more, >>click to read<< 07:15
Fishing boat aground near Bodega Bay
F/V Aleutian Storm’s owner, watching his fishing boat stuck fast in the sand at South Salmon Creek Beach, didn’t want to talk to a reporter. His livelihood was aground, out of commission and, despite its sturdy build, in some peril. His 58-foot vessel had run aground near Bodega Bay late Friday night — all four of the crew aboard got off safely, the Coast Guard said — and Chris Fox was waiting for a tugboat he’d hired to arrive from San Francisco. “If you lost your house, if you lost your means of making a living, all of that is similar to what’s happening, “said Dick Ogg, a veteran fisherman who is president of the Bodega Bay Fishermen’s Marketing Association. ”Chris works so hard. He’s such a good person and it’s just devastating to see something like this happen. He had been out Friday night fishing, too, Ogg said, and it “had been miserable.” “There was probably close to 20 knots of wind and, you know, it had been building and it just was nasty,” he said. Five photos, more, >>click to Read<< 15:14
4 rescued after boat runs ashore in the North Bay
First responders rescued four crewmembers of a fishing boat that washed ashore near Bodega Bay Friday night. The boat ran around south of Salmon Creek Beach, according to Gino DeGraffenreid with the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. “As always, the Sonoma Coast is extremely hazardous on occasion,” DeGraffenreid said. “And tonight was one of those occasions.” more, >>click to read<< 06:50
Coast Guard responds to grounded vessel near Bodega Bay
The Coast Guard responded to a report of a grounded vessel Friday night at Sonoma Coast State Park. This position is two miles southwest of Bodega Bay and is located within the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders received a call via VHF-FM Channel 16 from the captain of the 58-foot commercial fishing vessel Aleutian Storm reporting that the vessel had run aground and needed assistance ungrounding. The captain also reported that all four crew aboard were uninjured and had immersion suits. more, >>click to read<< 20:08
Coast Guard finds no pollution after fishing boat runs aground on Cape Cod
The United States Coast Guard determined there is no pollution after a fishing boat ran aground at Ballston Beach in Cape Cod on Friday. Authorities say they were notified at around 2:30 a.m. that the Miss Megan vessel hat ran aground. No injuries were reported. The boat was refloated at around 5:30 p.m. and towed to New Bedford after it was determined there was no pollution. Click the photos. Photos, >>click to read<< 13:05
NTSB: F/V Tremont Hit MSC Boxship as it was Fixing Gyrocompass While Underway
The 115-foot trawler had a crew of 12 plus the captain and mate’s 2-year-old child aboard as a passenger when it left New Bedford, Massachusetts on October 7, 2022, for squid fishing off the U.S. East Coast. The crew told the NTSB about four or five days into the 20-day trip “the vessel’s gyrocompass became ‘kind of sporadic,’” but since the error was last than 10 degrees the captain and mate, “determined it ‘was something we could live with,’” and so they continued to operate along the East Coast. They also knew that the vessel’s AIS was not fully functioning and while it was transmitting it was not displaying on the trawler. more, >>click to read<< 07:41
Dramatic moment US Coast Guard rescues fishermen from struggling boat off Cape Cod after it lost its steering capabilities during fierce East Coast storm
The US Coast Guard rescued a 65-foot lobster boat and its crew after it lost all steering and was adrift in the waters southwest of Nantucket. Crews from Station Brant Point in Nantucket and Air Station Cape Cod responded to a call by the vessel named Two Dukes around 9.30 am earlier this week. Four crew members and a dog were rescued. The captain was found with facial injuries after a window got blown out in the heavy seas and left him with lacerations. The captain and first mate remained onboard to assist in towing Two Dukes. I couldn’t be more proud of this crew. First heavy weather SAR case of the winter season. Fifteen to 20-foot seas, shoals all over. The fishermen were extremely grateful.’ photos, video, more, >>click to read<< 07:10
“Heroic” Rescue Off Nantucket: Station Brant Point Tows Disabled Fishing Boat In Rough Seas
With the sea still raging from the coastal storm that hammered the East Coast this week, a crew from Coast Guard Station Brant Point on Tuesday rescued a disabled fishing vessel southwest of Nantucket amid 15 foot waves and dangerous shoals. The call came in around 9:30 a.m. The 65-foot fishing vessel F/V Two Dukes had lost all steering and was adrift in the waters southwest of Nantucket, near Tuckernuck Island, with four crew members and one dog on board. To make matters worse, the captain was injured after a window got blown out in the heavy seas, leaving him with lacerations on his face. A four-man crew from Station Brant Point suited up and set out to take part in the rescue aboard the 47-foot motor life boat. After the long transit to the waters southwest of the island, the crew located the disabled fishing vessel as a Coast Guard helicopter hoisted two people off the boat, leaving behind the captain and one other crewman. photos, more, >>click to read<<-13:40
UPDATE: Coast Guard suspends search for F/V Miss Winnie fisherman
The Coast Guard suspended its search at roughly 5:30 p.m. Monday for a missing commercial fisherman roughly 138 miles southwest of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Crews searched more than 46 hours and over 2000 square miles. Assets involved in the search were: U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Training Center HC-144 Ocean Sentry, U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi HC-144 Ocean Sentry, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Jacob Poroom Good samaritan commercial fishing vessel F/V Kenneth ColeThe Coast Guard suspended active search efforts after the probable search area was saturated with multiple assets and resources. The incident is currently under investigation. -USCG- >>click to read<< 08:45
Coast Guard searching Gulf for fisherman reported overboard from commercial vessel
The US Coast Guard said it is searching a portion of the Gulf for a 35-year-old fisherman who reportedly fell overboard from a commercial fishing vessel early Saturday (Dec. 2), about 138 miles southwest of Port Fourchon. The man overboard report was radioed in around 2 a.m. from a vessel relaying the message from the commercial fishing vessel Miss Winnie, the USCG said in a statement. more, >>click to read<< We will update, as we get information. 14:00
