Articles Posted in Vessel Sinkings

The Coast Guard medically evacuated fishermen Alvin Floyd and John Hodges from a 23-foot commercial fishing vessel on the south end of St. Catherines Island on Wednesday, June 22, following an explosion onboard. Operational watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Charleston received reports of the explosion and deployed two rescue helicopter crews. A good Samaritan rescued the fishermen from the water and waited until the rescue crews arrived. The Coast Guard crews safely transported the fishermen to Savannah Memorial Hospital.

The cause of the explosion is unknown. The commercial fishing vessel reportedly sunk approximately 1,000 feet off shore.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville received word of a sinking 26-foot boat about one mile southeast of Cape Canaveral, Thursday morning around 9:45 a.m. The captain noticed the boat listing and sinking; once in the water he was able to make a mayday call using a cell phone in a waterproof case. The Coast Guard deployed a 25-foot rescue boat crew and arrived on the scene shortly after.
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June 6, 2011 – The 44-foot fishing vessel ABBY LOUISE sank Saturday in Orca Inlet about seven miles southwest of Cordova. The cause of the sinking is unknown, and the Coast Guard is working to contain environmental damage. As of this time, there were no reported injuries in the accident. Good samaritan vessels in the area assisted in the rescue of three of the vessel crew. The sinking is under investigation by the Coast Guard.

Five crewmen abandoned a 60-foot yacht in the Gulf of Alaska after losing power and being battered by waves. The crew reported having electrical problems, losing steerage and being hit by a rogue wavey. They took on a list and eventually sank. The crew abandoned ship in survival suits and made it to their life raft. The crewmen were airlifted to safety by a Coast Guard helicopter. The luxury Yacht NORDIC PRINCESS had departed from Kodiak bound for Prince William Sound and encountered waves estimated at 10-12 feet.

Sunday the 30-foot fishing vessel ELLA ANN sank at the mouth of Willapa Bay while fishing for dungeness crab. One of two crewmen aboard the vessel was lost in the accident. 34 year old Luis Perez was tragically lost in the accident. It is unknown at this time what caused the vessel to capsize and sink, but the matter will be investigated by the Coast Guard. The captain of the vessel, Eric Petit, narrowly escaped death when he was revived with CPR by a helicopter crew after he was rescued.

Crewmen working aboard small crab boats on the coast of Washington are Jones Act seamen protected by Federal Maritime law. However, there are few Federal safety regulations that protect the crewmen who do one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. The dungeness crab fishery is recognized as a job with extremely high fatality rates. The small crab boats that work in the dungeness fishery are often exposed to severe weather and sea conditions. It is imperative that all safety equipment aboard these boats be kept regularly maintained and that crews be drilled in vessel safety. Accidents in the crab fleet are frequently caused by overloading the boat with crab pots, poor maintenance, and working in too heavy weather.

Five crewmen from the 34-foot fishing vessel SANDY M have been rescued from their sinking boat by the Coast Guard. The crew issued a mayday call saying they were abandoning ship at about 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. Coast Guard helicopters were able to reach the men within 40 minutes, and began lifting them to safety. Three of the crewmen were able to get into the vessel’s life raft, but the other two crewmen were rescued from the water. All five crewmen were taken to Sitka for emergency medical treatment. Weather at the time of the accident was reported at 40 miles per hour winds with seas in the 6 to 8 foot range. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

The U.S. Coast Guard has concluded its examination of the January 3, 2009 sinking of the PATRIOT fishing vessel, finally resolving that a rapid loss of stability most likely forced the boat to capsize and sink. Last year, two men were aboard the 54-foot steel-hulled trawler about 15 miles from the port of Glouster, Massachusetts, when their boat sank after an apparent catastrophic failure.
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Sitka Mountain Rescue with the assistance of the Coast Guard rescued a man from his sinking fishing vessel in Sitka Sound last week. The 74-year-old master stated that his boat was taking on lots of water just off Kulichkof Rock. Sitka Mountain Rescue personnel arrived at the scene and managed to recover the man moments before his 44-foot Wrangell-based trawler sank.

Once rescued and aboard another boat, the master was treated for cold weather exposure and taken to the Sitka Community Hospital; he fortunately appears to be in good health.

It is unknown at this time how much diesel fuel was on board the vessel when it submerged; the maximum tank capacity is 1,400 gallons. Personnel from the Marine Safety Detachment Sitka were on site to look for and contain any visible pollution.

The 74-year old captain has been rescued from his fishing vessel near Sitka, Alaska. The captain of the 44-foot trawler ZIMOVIA was rescued from the vessel as it was being knocked about on the rocks by the surf. The Coast Guard was aided in the rescue by the Sitka Mountain Rescue boat crew who launched a small boat from shore to aid in the rescue of the man moments before the vessel sank. The rescued crewman was taken to Sitka Hospital suffering from cold weather exposure. The cause of the accident is under investigation, and potential environmental damage is being assessed.

The 34 foot fishing boat ROSIE MARIE sank 20 miles west of the Columbia River Bar on Tuesday. The sole crewman on the vessel was able to get off a May Day message and activate his EPIRB before abandoning the sinking vessel into a life raft. The Coast Guard sent a helicopter from Astoria and a life boat from Cape Disappointment to rescue the man who was hoisted to safety by the helicopter. The crewman was taken to Astoria Oregon for medical examination. The cause of the accident is under investigation. Safety regulations relating to small fishing boats such as this are currently pending, including requirements for life rafts, EPIRB, and immersion suits. This instance again points to the fact that this safety equipment saves the lives of fishermen and the need to make such safety equipment mandatory on all fishing vessels.