Carbon Monoxide poisoning is often associated with automobiles and homes, but carbon monoxide poisoning can happen in any enclosed or partially enclosed space where fumes and gasses are allowed to accumulate, making fishing boats, tugboats, and other commercial vessels particularly vulnerable if not properly maintained. Carbon monoxide (CO), is an…
Articles Posted in Maritime News & Law
Fisherman Medevaced After Losing Consciousness
The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced an injured fisherman on Monday, July 19th near Newport, Oregon. The operator of a 40-foot commercial fishing vessel called watchstanders at the U. S. Coast Guard Sector North Bend command center at approximately 1:15p.m. to request assistance after a 70-year old fisherman lost consciousness. The…
Fisherman Transported to Portland Hospital after Serious Eye Injury
Watchstanders at U.S. Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay received a distress call from the F/V PIKY on August 4th after a crewmember sustained a serious eye injury and vision loss. The fisherman was reportedly reeling in a tuna when a line slipped, causing a swivel tackle to strike Nathanial Miller,…
85 F/V American Triumph Workers Test Positive For COVID-19
The F/V AMERICAN TRIUMPH remains docked after Eighty-five crew members have tested positive for COVID-19. The factory trawler left Oregon headed for Alaska on June 27th carrying 119 workers. It was reported that two weeks after the ship departed, seven workers reported feeling ill and were tested for COVID-19 in…
Dockside Fishing Vessel Exams for Bristol Bay, Alaska
Commercial fishing continues to be among the most hazardous jobs in the U.S. but there are many ways vessel owners and crew members can mitigate risk. In an effort to prepare for the 2019 Bristol Bay commercial salmon season, the U.S. Coast Guard is offering free dockside examinations for all…
Captain Suffers Heart Attack Aboard F/V Emerald Seas
A 55-year-old captain was medevaced by the U.S. Coast Guard after he reportedly suffered a heart attack while working aboard the F/V EMERALD SEAS. The vessel was located approximately 20 miles west of Tillamook Bay, Oregon when the incident occurred. Watchstanders at Sector Columbia River Command Center in Warrenton received…
Keep Fin Fish Free Act Introduced
This month a new bill called the Keep Fin Fish Free Act (H.R. 2467) was introduced in response to the growing concerns regarding aquaculture operations. Alaska Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska) introduced legislation that would stop officials from the Secretary of Interior and the Secretary of Commerce from authorizing commercial finfish…
Hand Injury Aboard F/V Phoenix
A 22-year-old crewmember who was working aboard the 254-foot F/V PHOENIX was evacuated near La Push, Washington on Tuesday after he sustained a hand injury. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received the emergency call at approximately 11:28. A boater in the area made the call on behalf of…
What to Do If You Are Injured at Sea: The First 6 Steps
If you are a maritime worker, you already know that work at sea is dangerous. Jones Act or maritime law is in place to give rights to workers as well as an extra layer of protection. Know your rights, and if an accident does occur, we recommend that you follow…
Port of Bellingham Ordered to Pay $16M to Injured Ferry Worker
In November of 2012, Shannon Adamson suffered life-threatening injuries when the passenger gangway she was standing on collapsed. She fell 18-feet and suffered a shattered pelvis and sacrum, fractures in her lower back, loss of sensation in her right leg, a broken ankle, wrist and ribs, two punctured lungs, a…