April 6th is National 406 Day. It is easy to remember, as the date (04/06) corresponds to the 406 MHz frequency used by these devices to transmit digital signals to satellites. These beacons are considered by many in the maritime trades to be the best life insurance available. And in…
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Juneau command center received a call on March 21st at approximately 3:40 p.m. from the captain of the towing vessel PACIFIC TITAN. It was reported that during a towing operation, a 30-year-old crewmember had sustained a head injury. The vessel was located near Pennock Island,…
In August of 2020, multiple U.S. Coast Guard units received distress calls stating that the F/V ARCTIC FOX II, a 66-foot commercial fishing boat, had begun taking on water. The vessel was located about 85 miles off Cape Flattery, Washington at the time of trouble. The three crewmembers aboard were…
The U.S. Coast Guard has successfully recovered a partially submerged tugboat that was located at the National Guard Dock in Gastineau Channel, Alaska. In late December of 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Juneau was notified after an oil sheen was discovered. Working together, the city of Juneau, the U.S.…
U.S. Coast Guard Watchstanders at the Thirteenth District in Seattle received an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) transmission from the F/V ETHEL MAY on Sunday, February 5th at approximately 7:30 p.m. The 46-foot crabbing vessel was near the Willapa Bay entrance at the time of the distress transmission. Watchstanders…
On Saturday January 14th, 2022, The U.S. Coast Guard rescued seven people after a 1,000-foot towing line snapped and the tug they were piloting became disabled. The incident happened about 30 miles off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland at approximately 3:30 a.m. Crew members aboard the tug LEGACY were…
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced on December 16th, 2022, the approval of multiple Alaska and Washington fishery disaster requests. This approval is based on data submitted by states and/or local tribes. “America’s fisheries are a critical part of our national economy and directly impact our local communities when…
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River is clamping down on “paper captains” in the waters of Washington and Oregon thanks to Lt. Cmdr. Colin Fogarty, enforcement chief for the sector in Warrenton, Oregon. As an educated and licensed attorney, Fogarty, and his colleagues are highly skilled at proving Jones…
State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz announced on Friday, November 18th that commercial net-pen farming of finned fish will end in the waters of Washington state. Of note, net-pen fish farming has been banned in Alaska, Oregon, and California. Canada is calling for companies to phase out the practice…
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 13 people from a sinking fishing vessel on Friday, October 28th after the vessel collided with a container ship. The 115-foot F/V TREMONT was about 60 miles off the coast of Virginia, just southeast of Chincoteague at the time of the accident. Watchstanders at the…