We have all heard that working in the commercial fishing industry is the most dangerous type of work in the nation. Commercial fishing has long topped the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ list of jobs with the most injuries and fatalities. However, many accidents happen before boats leave the dock or…
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew medevaced a 58-year-old male after he suffered an ankle injury while aboard the F/V NEW DAWN. The 50-foot commercial vessel was near Shelikof Strait when the incident occurred on Sunday, June 18th. “Due to the crewman’s possible need for an…
On March 9, 2017, in a landmark case handled by Stacey and Jacobsen, PLLC, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled unanimously that punitive damages may be awarded to injured fishermen and seamen when the case involves a general maritime unseaworthiness claim. Where an employer recklessly provides a vessel or equipment…
Allan Tabingo was injured at sea due to defective machinery on his employer’s fishing vessel. A hydraulic lever controlling a fish hatch had been defective for two years. When the hatch operator tried to activate the hydraulic lever to stop the hatch from closing, the handle on the lever popped…
The captain of the 75-foot F/V LEANN reported that a crewmember fell and suffered a head injury while fishing more than 20 miles off Florence, Oregon. The call to the Coos Bay, Oregon Coast Guard came in just after midnight on December 15, 2016. The captain reported that the injured…
On November 26th, 2016 the Coast Guard rescued an injured crew member more than 170 miles offshore from the Columbia River. The 23-year-old man was aboard the 617-foot Global Saikai, which had left Longview, WA for Kashima, Japan carrying a load of timber. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received the…
On Saturday, June 25, The U.S. Coast Guard received word of an incident aboard the 79-foot fishing vessel, PACIFIC STAR. A medevac flight by a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter was sent to the vessel traveling about 74 miles southeast of Kodiak, Alaska. The call for assistance by the operator of PACIFIC…
A fisherman aboard the BARBARA J has been airlifted for medical treatment. The crewman reportedly was injured in a fall down the vessel’s stairs and needed emergency medical treatment. The accident happened on Sunday near Unimak Pass. Weather conditions were reported as 29 mph winds with 6 foot seas. The…
Crew from the 285′ Factory Trawler AMERICAN TRIUMPH called the Coast Guard on February 12 to report that a 36-year old man had two of his fingers severed by a steel door. A Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter crew in Cold Bay flew approximately 92 miles north to the trawler, safely…
A crab fisherman reportedly injured his abdomen while pulling in crab pots on the F/V IRENE H on January 13, 2015. Crew from the fishing vessel called the Coast Guard to report the injury and ask for medical assistance. The Kodiak Coast Guard Air Station then flew a Jayhawk helicopter…