Grounding

Published on: September 15, 2026

F/V EMILY ROSE Takes on Water Near Long Island, Alaska

Four crew members aboard the F/V EMILY ROSE had a close call Thursday evening, September 10, 2026, after their vessel struck a rock near Long Island, Alaska, and began rapidly taking on water. U.S. Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic watchstanders received a VHF distress call around 9:15 p.m. and immediately issued an urgent marine information broadcast while directing an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak to the scene.

Two good Samaritan vessels, the F/V LADY SEA and the F/V JACKLYN W, answered the broadcast and made their way to the F/V EMILY ROSE. Together with the U.S. Coast Guard aircrew, they delivered dewatering pumps to help slow the flooding. The F/V LADY SEA’s crew then tied to the F/V EMILY ROSE and pinned it against the shore to prevent the vessel from sinking while waiting for the tide to go out. Once the tide fell, grounding the vessel, the F/V EMILY ROSE crew patched the source of the flooding and tested the repair when the tide came back in. The F/V LADY SEA towed the F/V EMILY ROSE about 11 miles to Fuller Boat Yard in Kodiak for a full assessment, with U.S. Coast Guard Cutter FREDERICK MANN (WPC 1160) standing by to escort and monitor the situation. This incident demonstrates how much commercial fishing safety in Alaska still depends on other boats in the water.

Fast radio communication, a quick U.S. Coast Guard response, and two fishing crews willing to rise to the occasion reveal something important about the fishing fleet in these waters. Good Samaritan responses are part of the culture of Alaska’s commercial fishing industry, where boats routinely divert course, share equipment, or tie to a vessel without a second thought.

Published on: September 1, 2026

Grounded Fishing Vessel at Point Reyes Highlights Hidden Risks Commercial Fishermen Face

by Nigel Stacey

On the morning of August 21, 2026, the F/V LAKE BAY, a 58-foot fishing vessel operating out of Smith River, California, ran aground on a sand bar at North Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore. All four crew members aboard were transported to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Station Bodega Bay after the boat entered the surf zone.

A unified command made up of the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Park Service, with support from Marin County Fire, NOAA, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, moved quickly to secure the vessel and its fuel. The F/V LAKE BAY had a maximum capacity of 2,800 gallons of diesel, and crews ultimately removed roughly 1,400 gallons of diesel fuel along with 175 gallons of hydraulic and lubricating oil. No active fuel leaks or wildlife impacts have been reported at any point in the response. North Beach was temporarily closed to keep the public safe while crews worked.

The response has since shifted from emergency pollution control to salvage and recovery. Salvage crews spent days working to pull the vessel farther onto the beach, which was complicated by the vessel’s fiberglass hull and bow digging into the sand. According to the U.S. Coast Guard’s incident commander, once a vessel of this size runs aground, questions about its structural integrity and stability make towing it back out to sea too risky. The vessel’s catch, an estimated 30 to 50 tons of squid trapped in the hold, has added another variable to an already challenging recovery.

Published on: June 16, 2026

F/V Arctic Sea Grounding Spilled 45,000 Gallons of Diesel Near the Pribilofs

by Nigel Stacey

The F/V ARCTIC SEA ran aground on St. George Island in the Pribilofs on January 5th, 2026, and Alaska environmental officials have confirmed that roughly 45,000 gallons of diesel fuel has been released into the ocean. It has been found that five months after the grounding, fuel was still seeping from the vessel.

The F/V ARCTIC SEA was a 134-foot crab boat working through a gale force storm when it lost power. The vessel was caught off the northern shore with no propulsion, facing 50-knot winds and 10-foot seas. It ran aground and began taking on water. The U.S. Coast Guard responded swiftly and rescued all nine crew members, then took them safely to St. Paul, where emergency medical personnel were waiting.

A June 1st, 2026, inspection by Global Diving & Salvage, conducted for a pollution survey, found that the starboard double-bottom tank still held 5,821 gallons of diesel, nearly six thousand gallons sitting in a single breached tank six months after the incident. According to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) report from June 9, 2026, the team from Global Diving & Salvage stopped further leakage from that tank by plugging its vent and standpipe.

Published on: April 7, 2026

Gloucester Crew Rescued After Fishing Boat Runs Aground

by Nigel Stacey

At 7:47 p.m. on April 4, 2026, first responders in Gloucester, Massachusetts were called when the F/V LEGACY ran aground on rocks about twenty yards from shore. Waves battered the hull and pushed the boat harder against the rocks, causing increasingly severe damage.

The two crew members were unable to free the vessel from the rocks. First responders called in the U.S. Coast Guard, which responded with a 47-foot rescue boat from USCG Gloucester Station but even that effort could not pull the F/V LEGACY free from the rocks. As conditions worsened, the decision was made to evacuate the crew.

A coordinated response by Gloucester Fire Engine 1, Ladder 1, and Rescue 1 worked alongside police and the harbormaster to rescue the fishermen. Firefighters had the crew don survival suits, tossed rescue lines to them, and helped them off the rocks onto dry land. Both fishermen were evaluated by officials at the scene, and no injuries were reported. The U.S. Coast Guard remained on the scene to monitor the vessel.

Published on: April 6, 2026

Five Crew Members Rescued from Grounded Vessel Near Umnak Island

by Nigel Stacey

On April 2, 2026, the 58-foot F/V OCEAN BAY ran aground on Umnak Island’s northern shore in the Aleutians. At 4:45 a.m., the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District Command Center in Juneau received a report that the vessel was taking on water. Watchstanders immediately coordinated a multi-asset response, dispatching an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak and diverted the Cutter WAESCHE to the scene.

A Good Samaritan vessel, F/T SEAFREEZE ALASKA, a 295-foot factory trawler, was first to arrive on the scene at approximately 5 a.m. The Hercules crew and WAESCHE reached the area about three hours later. By that time, the crew of the F/V OCEAN BAY had successfully stopped the flooding and dewatered the vessel.

The Jayhawk aircrew arrived at approximately 11:15 a.m. and hoisted all five crew members to safety, transporting them to Dutch Harbor for medical evaluation. Resolve Marine has been contracted to oversee salvage operations on the grounded vessel.

Published on: January 6, 2026

Nine Fishermen Rescued After Vessel Runs Aground in Bering Sea Storm

by Nigel Stacey

On Monday, January 5th, 2026, nine fishermen spent more than seven hours stranded on their vessel near St. George Island during hurricane force winds. The individuals were subsequently rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The F/V ARCTIC SEA ran aground near the remote island of St. George, located 750 miles southwest of Anchorage, in conditions that made rescue treacherous. Winds were up to 50 knots with 10-foot seas when the U.S. Coast Guard’s Juneau command center received the distress call at 4:11 a.m.

A nearby fishing vessel, the F/V NORTH SEA, reached the scene first but couldn’t attempt a rescue in the extreme weather. Instead, the crew provided real-time updates to U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders coordinating the response.

Published on: September 9, 2025

Grounded Alaska Fishing Vessel Reaches Port After 3,500 Gallon Fuel Spill

by Nigel Stacey

The commercial fishing vessel that ran aground near Alaska’s Afognak Island, spilling thousands of gallons of diesel fuel into surrounding waters, was successfully towed to safety Friday September 5^th, 2025, according to state environmental officials.

The 120-foot F/V SEA ERN arrived at Kodiak Harbor at approximately 7 a.m., completing a carefully coordinated salvage operation overseen by the U.S. Coast Guard and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The vessel has since been moved to drydock at the City of Kodiak shipyard.

Environmental officials estimate between 3,000 and 3,500 gallons of diesel fuel leaked from the vessel after a 12-foot gash tore through its bow, rupturing two fuel tanks. The F/V SEA ERN was carrying approximately 16,290 gallons of fuel at the time of the grounding, with 12,790 gallons remaining aboard.

Published on: January 28, 2025

78-Foot F/V Northern Endurance Runs Aground Near Unalaska

by Nigel Stacey

On Thursday, January 23, 2025, the 78-foot F/V NORTHERN ENDURANCE ran aground near Little Priest Rock, approximately three miles from Unalaska.

The City of Unalaska Fire Department initially arrived on the scene, then relinquished control of the situation to U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Unit. A representative from the Fire Department confirmed that the vessel’s captain had assured authorities that all crew members were unharmed, and there were no immediate environmental hazards to report.

The following morning, Resolve Marine, a local salvage operation, was successful in freeing the F/V NORTHERN ENDURANCE, according to Lt. Lawrence Schalles, who heads the U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Unit in Unalaska. The vessel has been secured near Unalaska’s spit for a thorough inspection.

Published on: August 30, 2021

Four Rescued After F/V ENDURANCE Runs Aground

by Nigel Stacey

Four people were rescued on August 25th after their fishing vessel ran aground near Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

The F/V ENDURANCE crew made an emergency satellite phone call to watchstanders at approximately 10:57pm, reporting that the vessel had run aground, was listing severely, and taking on water. The call was received by U.S. Coast Guard 17th District command center in Juneau, Alaska and help was dispatched.

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter BERTHOLF was located approximately 30 miles northeast of the F/V ENDURANCE at the time of the call. The BERTHOLF crew launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew and a small boat to rescue the stranded seafarers.

Published on: December 10, 2019

Four Fishermen Rescued after F/V Sea Angels Runs Aground

by Joseph Stacey

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued four fishermen on Monday, December 9th after the F/V SEA ANGELS ran aground near Browns Inlet, North Carolina.

The 88-foot fishing vessel reported that they were experiencing mechanical issues when they called Coast Guard Sector North Carolina requesting assistance.

A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Station Emerald Isle as well as an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City responded to the call for help. Once on the scene, responders were able to hoist all four crewmembers, then transport them to U.S. Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle. See the video that documents this heroic rescue.