What began as a small fundraiser for the minor children of the F/V Destination crew quickly gained momentum and turned into a sold-out gala as community members saw a tangible way to help the families of the fishermen lost at sea. Tickets for “A Night Among the Stars” went on…
Commercial fishermen are familiar with the Fisheries Observer Program. Launched in 1972 by NOAA, there are between 450 and 1000 observers working on commercial fishing vessels alongside fishermen collecting data at any given time. They are trained scientists (often marine biologists) who collect information that is used to estimate stock…
The U.S. Coast Guard responded to the sinking of an out-of-service tugboat on Wednesday April 19th at approximately 10:15 p.m. The 81-foot tug, POWHATAN, had been docked at the Samson Tug and Barge pier. The vessel initially sunk to a depth of about 15 meters but then shifted. The downward…
It is with great sadness that we report the death of a 36-year-old diver. The Pierce County Sheriff’s office dive team responded to a 911 call at approximately 2 p.m. on Tuesday April 18, 2017. They were informed that the diver was unresponsive just south of the Navy Surface Warfare…
Furie Operating Alaska, LLC (“Furie”) has agreed to pay a $10 million civil penalty handed down by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency for violation of the Jones Act. The settlement is the largest Jones Act penalty in the history of the Act. The company focuses on the exploration…
We are pleased to report that the Coast Guard has named Tara Dodd 2016 active-duty enlisted person of the year and Nicole Cimino 2016 reserve enlisted person of the year for the 13th Coast Guard District. Tara Dodd, Petty Officer 1st Class, is an active-duty culinary specialist assigned to the…
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…
On Wednesday March 1st, a floating crane broke loose from tethers and drifted from the Highway 520 project toward waterfront homes on Lake Washington. According to a Laurelhurst homeowner, the crane was floating north of the job site toward residential docks at about 4 a.m. Emily Durante, a project spokeswoman…
The US Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology responded to a fuel spill in Seattle on the West Waterway of the Duwamish River after a tug and barge collided. The incident occurred at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, Ecology and the National Response Center were…
The Coast Guard, working in partnership with several other agencies, continues to respond to the tugboat SAMSON MARINER that ran aground near Rosa Reef in north Tongass Narrows, Alaska. Approximately 1,100 gallons of fuel was spilled before the breach could be patched by Alaska Commercial Divers. The official report by…