Oregon

Published on: May 8, 2018

Seizures at Sea

The U.S. Coast Guard recently responded to a call from the 36-foot fishing vessel, Lacie Belle, that a crewmember was suffering from seizures. The call came in at 5:25 p.m. and by 5:54 p.m. an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Sector North Bend was on the scene, approximately 10 miles north of Cape Blanco.

The Coast Guard sent a rescue swimmer down to assess the crewmember and determined that the man needed immediate medical attention. A basket was sent down to the fishing vessel and the crewmember was hoisted to the waiting helicopter (watch the heroic video). The crewmember was successfully airlifted to medical personnel at the Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay, Oregon by 6:28 p.m.

Seizures can happen anytime or any place, but when they occur on a fishing vessel, it is even more important for crewmembers to know how to respond. While there are many types of seizures, most people are familiar with the generalized tonic-clonic seizure, also known as a grand mal seizure, in which a person, falls, shakes, jerks, and cries out. If this happens while at sea, a crewmember must take charge and do the following:

Published on: February 12, 2018

Worker Injured Aboard Anchored Vessel in Astoria

by Joseph Stacey

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River was contacted on Monday morning after a worker was injured while installing a recirculation system aboard the bulk carrier Ergina Luck. The worker fell into the bilge, and it was reported that both his legs and back were injured in the fall and that he was unable to walk. The Ergina Luck was anchored in Astoria at the time of the accident.

The Clatsop County high-angle rescue team was transported from Station Cape Disappointment aboard a 47-foot Motor Life Boat to assist and transport the injured man. The rescue team immobilized the injured worker, then carried him up three sets of stairs before he could be lowered to the crew members aboard the MLB. He was then transported to emergency medical services at the 17th Street Pier in Astoria, Oregon.

The injured man is employed by Degesch America at their Portland, Oregon location. The company specializes in fumigation, degassing, and abatement services for bulk carrier vessels. The incident is under investigation.

Published on: June 6, 2017

Named for Heroes: New and Improved Coast Guard Cutters Coming to Astoria and Ketchikan

by Joseph Stacey

Astoria is set to receive two new lifesaving Sentinel-class cutters. One has already been deployed in Ketchikan, the USCGC John McCormick. These are part of a Coast Guard plan to commission 58 new Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters, replacing aging Island-class cutters.

The new cutters are 154 ft. long (compared to the 110 ft. Island-class) and feature technology updates, such as weapons systems upgrades, small boat stern launch capabilities (to achieve safer and more efficient operations), and a five knot speed increase over the Island-class vessel. Command, control, communications, and intelligence systems have been updated with state of the art technology. The Sentinel-class cutter can reach speeds in excess of 28 knots, and the new small boats can reach speeds of 40 knots.

The new Sentinel-class vessels are to be named after enlisted Coast Guard servicemen and women who distinguished themselves in the line of duty. The first deployed cutter of its class, the USCGC Bernard C. Webber, is named for the Coxswain of the 36-foot wooden Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat CG 36500, which pulled one of the most daring rescues in Coast Guard history. Webber and his crew faced 60-foot seas to rescue 32 crewmen from the SS Pendleton in February, 1952.

Published on: December 17, 2016

Crewmember with Head Injury on F/V LEANN Flown to Coos Bay, Oregon Hospital

by Joseph Stacey

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 man was first knocked unconscious, but when he woke he was combative.

The Coast Guard flew a helicopter crew to the vessel, lowered a rescue swimmer to prepare for the lift, hoisted the injured man into the MH-65 Dolphin, and flew him to the Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay, Oregon.

Weather on scene was calm and clear with light winds.

Published on: August 15, 2016

Coast Guard Rescues 3 Fishermen from Sinking F/V McCALIS

by Joseph Stacey

At 11:54 a.m. on Sunday, August 14, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend received a mayday call from 60-foot F/V McCALIS about 8 miles west of Cape Blanco, Oregon. The crew reported that their vessel was taking on water through the fish hold and the dewatering pumps were not keeping up. The three fishermen aboard the vessel also announced their intention to abandon ship onto a liferaft.

The Coast Guard launched a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat Crew from Search and Rescue Detachment Coquille River and an aircrew aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter. Both crews arrived to the scene around 1:15 p.m., but with only 300-feet of visibility due to fog, the boat crew picked up the fishermen from their liferaft.

The three fishermen aboard the McCALIS are reportedly uninjured, and en route to Station Coos Bay in Charleston, Oregon.

Published on: July 8, 2016

Woman Tragically Killed in Oregon Boating Accident

by Joseph Stacey

On Friday, June 24^th, the group of friends were slowly cruising in their pontoon boat along the Rock River in Oregon. Statements from Phil Lukes, a passenger on the pontoon boat, and Al Overton, owner of River Road Marina, revealed that a fishing vessel appeared out of nowhere, and loudly commanded the attention of everyone near the river.

The vessel struck the pontoon boat, tragically killing 31-year-old Megan Wells, who leaves behind 3 children. Nicholas Lamb, a 29-year-old passenger also aboard the boat, was transported to Rockford Memorial Hospital to be treated for his injuries.

Both Overton and Lukes insisted that this heartbreaking incident be a message for all boaters to act with increased caution, and a call to improve safety measures.

Published on: January 21, 2016

Crab Boat EAGLE III Hits Coos Bay Jetty; Three Fishermen Feared Dead

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

Two fishermen are missing and one is confirmed dead in an Oregon crab boat accident. An EPIRB signal was received late Tuesday night alerting the Coast Guard that the EAGLE III was in trouble. The forty foot vessel had collided with the north jetty at Coos Bay and broken apart. At the time of the incident, winds were 30 mph and seas were estimated at 8-10 feet. The EAGLE III is home ported in Port Orford, California. The Captain of the EAGLE III is reported to have survived the incident. The search has been suspended for the two missing crew. The cause of the incident is under investigation. The Coast Guard will likely investigate whether the EAGLE III was seaworthy, the crew properly trained, and whether or not navigational error may have contributed to the crewmen deaths. The Oregon and Washington Crab fishery has again proven itself to be one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Small vessels such as the EAGLE III often face weather conditions that place them in peril.

Published on: January 8, 2015

Newport Fishermen’s Wives Continue Fight for Newport, Oregon Helicopter Base Beyond January 2016

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

Newport Fishermen’s Wives and the Newport, Oregon community fought hard and won the one-year extension of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Newport helicopter base.

Fishermen’s Wives of Newport, a non-profit, and co-complainants sued the Coast Guard when the Newport air station was slated to close due to budget ills. Their lawsuit states that closing the air station violates the Coast Guard’s legacy missions including marine safety, search and rescue, and aids to navigation.

On December 11, Congress passed a bill that prohibited the Coast Guard from closing the Newport air station. “It was an enormously impressive effort on the part of stakeholders and the community to challenge this on all fronts: politically, in the press and in the courts,” said Fishermen’s Wives of Newport’s attorney Michael Haglund. The helicopter base in Newport will remain open until January 1, 2016.

Published on: August 15, 2014

COAST GUARD RESCUES STRANDED HIKER IN OREGON

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

A woman who was hiking along the Ecola State Park cliffs near Seaside, Oregon, became trapped by the tide coming in sooner than expected on Sunday, July 6th. The Columbia River Coast Guard Sector received the report from local authorities.
A MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter was dispatched to the scene from the Coast Guard Air Station Astoria in Oregon, and safely hoisted the stranded woman. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries, and the hiker was flown to Seaside Airport and transferred to fire rescue personnel.
If hiking or vacationing near the coast, be sure to be aware of when and how much the tide is going in or out.

Published on: September 12, 2013

285-Foot Tidewater Grain Barge Loose on the Columbia River

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

At approximately 10:00 p.m. on Friday, Tidewater Barge Lines reported to the Coast Guard than an unmanned 285-foot grain barge was missing from their Hayden Island facility. Crewmembers of the tug LORI B located the barge floating near the navigation channel and towed it back to Tidewater’s facility.

Upon inspection of the barge’s mooring lines, the Tidewater Barge Lines employee who made the initial report indicated that the mooring cable for the barge was not cut, and the ratchets used to hold it in place appeared to have been intentionally loosened. This incident could have resulted in a major shipping disaster. Either intentionally or negligently failing to secure a barge of this size on the Columbia River could have led to a major casualty. The incident is under investigation by the Coast Guard, and persons with information relating to the incident are asked to contact the Coast Guard Columbia River Command Center at 503-861-6211.

The Tidewater Barge Lines web site indicates that Tidewater Barge Lines is the largest inland marine transportation company west of the Mississippi River. Tidewater Barge Lines provides connections for truck, rail, and waterborne freight throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, their operating area includes 465 miles on the Columbia and Snake River systems extending from the Port of Astoria, Oregon, to the Port of Lewiston, Idaho.