Maritime Injury Law Blog

Published on: January 8, 2015

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

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: December 30, 2014

Alaska Fisheries Run Year Round: See Opening Dates

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

Many ambitious hopefuls or romantic souls dream of flying to Alaska in the summer to win the salmon season lottery. I was one of those dreamers and fortunately worked in Bristol Bay for 10 summers. Although I didn’t get rich, I am rich with memories of hard work, camaraderie, and the long and light days in Naknek, Alaska.

There are many other Alaskan fisheries to work in besides salmon, however. Here’s a list of fisheries and opening dates compiled from information from Laine Welch, a Kodiak-based fisheries journalist.

January 1: Boats with hook and line gear or pots will fish the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska for Pacific cod, rockfish and other groundfish.

Published on: December 29, 2014

Two Boaters Rescued After Skiff Grounds off Sitka, Alaska

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

A man and woman ran aground in their 17-foot skiff near Kanga Bay, about 11 miles south of Sitka, Alaska, as they traveled on December 27. Both were thrown overboard, and the man injured his head and face, said Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn Eggert. The boat drifted away and stranded the couple. Kanga Bay is a remote area off of Baranof Island and is only accessible by boat or floatplane (or Coast Guard helicopter).

Around 10 pm, Sitka emergency operators received a 911 call about the couple. A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka and a Sitka Fire Department boat responded to the scene. The two people were hoisted from shore into the helicopter and flown to Sitka for medical treatment.

The Coast Guard will conduct an interview with the couple to determine why the skiff ran aground.

Published on: December 16, 2014

Subcontractor Security Employee Drowns in Boating Accident at Kitsap Naval Base, Bangor, WA

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

William Smith, 50, of Bangor, WA, drowned in a boating accident at Kitsap Naval Base in Bangor, WA on December 11, 2014. Smith worked on base for the subcontractor Homeland Security Solutions (HSSI), a professional training, technology, and services company supporting security needs. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause and circumstances of Smith’s death. Mike McGuire, HSSI’s program manager, could not provide details until investigations by his firm and the Navy are complete. The Kitsap County Coroner’s Office confirmed that the cause of death was saltwater drowning.

Published on: December 12, 2014

Crew Member with Crushed Hand Medevaced from F/V TRAILBLAZER off Cold Bay, Alaska

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

Crew from the 120-foot fishing vessel TRAILBLAZER called the Alaska Coast Guard on Thursday, December 11, 2014 to report that a crew member’s hand had been crushed in a crab pot launcher and needed immediate medical care. The Coast Guard duty flight surgeon recommended a medevac, and a Kodiak Jayhawk helicopter crew flew to the vessel located approximately 75 miles north of Cold Bay. They safely hoisted the 23-year old man into the helicopter and flew to Anna Livingston Memorial Clinic in Cold Bay for further medical assistance.

“Having assets in forward operating locations like Cold Bay during the busy fishing seasons is beneficial to mariners in times of distress,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Francell Abbott, watchstander, Coast Guard 17th District (Alaska).

Weather on scene was reported as 17-mph winds, 10 miles visibility and 37 degrees temperature.

Published on: December 5, 2014

Five Crew Members Rescued from F/V TITAN After Grounding on Columbia River Jetty near Ilwaco, WA

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

At 2:16 am on Friday, December 5, 2014, crew from the F/V TITAN called The Coast Guard Sector Columbia River to report they had grounded off the A-jetty on the north side of the Columbia River near Ilwaco, WA. The 78-foot vessel’s engine room was flooding and dewatering efforts had failed.

The Coast Guard responded by sending a 47-foot Motor Life Boat (MLB) crew from Cape Disappointment and a Jayhawk helicopter crew from Astoria, Oregon. They transferred a dewatering pump to the TITAN crew, but the flooding could not be stopped. The five TITAN crew members then donned their survival suits, lowered the anchor to help secure the vessel, and stepped onto the MLB. No injuries were reported.

“The professionalism of the fishing vessel crew was a huge factor in this case,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Elizabeth Wakefield, operations specialist and Sector Columbia River search and rescue coordinator. “Their ability to stay calm and focused in a stressful situation enabled our personnel to rescue them safely.”

Published on: December 3, 2014

How to Help Yourself Survive in Cold Water: The 1 – 10 – 1 Principle

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

Sadly, stories are rolling in of boats foundering and sinking with crewmembers thrown into frigid winter waters. The Coast Guard and Good Samaritan vessels courageously assist as many survivors as possible, but the 1-10-1 Principle can help you survive until a boat or helicopter arrives. All of the following time averages are dependent upon the temperature of the water and condition of the victim.

1 – 10 – 1 represent crucial time periods after you hit the water.

1: During the first minute, Cold Shock will set in, including gasping and hyperventilation. You must get your breathing under control and gain an awareness of your situation. Panic will dramatically decrease your chance of survival.

Published on: December 2, 2014

COAST GUARD JOINS SEARCH FOR 54 MISSING CREWMEMBERS FROM CAPSIZED SOUTH KOREAN TRAWLER 501 ORYONG IN BERING SEA

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

The Coast Guard Alaska Sector and five Good Samaritan vessels are assisting the Russian Kamchatka Border Guard Directorate (KBGD) in finding 54 crew members missing from the capsized South Korean trawler 501 ORYONG. According to the KBGD, the crew was hauling in its catch of pollock when a wave hit and flooded the boat’s cargo holds. The 326-foot vessel sank off the coast of Chukotka, Russia on November 30, 2014.

Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Officer 2nd Class Diana Honings said that officials from the KBGD requested U.S. assistance with the search on December 1. They reported that a Good Samaritan vessel had rescued seven people in a life raft, one person was confirmed dead, and 54 were missing. A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak Hercules airplane crew and the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter MUNRO along with a Dolphin helicopter were sent to the scene Monday morning.

Weather on scene was reported as half-mile visibility with a 250-foot ceiling, 22-foot waves and water temperature at 57 degrees.

Published on: November 29, 2014

Fishing Vessel BLAZER Sinks off Siletz Bay, Oregon – Crew rescued by Coast Guard Helicopter and Motor Life Boat

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

The Coast Guard rescued five crew members from their life raft as the fishing vessel BLAZER sank eight miles west of Siletz Bay, Oregon the early morning of November 29, 2014. Coast Guard North Bend, Oregon received a MAYDAY call at 4:17 a.m. from the 75-foot fishing vessel BLAZER stating they were disabled, taking on water, and dumping crab pots. Ten minutes later crew called again to report they were donning survival suits and deploying the life raft.

Three of the survivors were rescued from the life raft by the Newport Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter crew and treated for minor injuries. The other two survivors were transferred from the life raft to a Coast Guard Depoe Bay 47-foot Motor Life Boat (MLB).

The BLAZER sank in 420 feet of water with reportedly 2,000 gallons of diesel aboard. There have been no reports of pollution at this time. North Bend pollution responders are monitoring the situation and will respond if needed.

Published on: November 26, 2014

Maine Fishing Vessel TWO MEGS Saved from Sinking by Coast Guard and Good Samaritan

by Stacey & Jacobsen, PLLC

At 5:00 am on November 23, 2014, crew on the fishing vessel TWO MEGS called the New England Coast Guard in distress: the engine room was flooding.

The boat was located 40 miles east of Isles of Shoals off the coast of Maine. By 6:40 am, a Coast Guard helicopter hovered over the boat and dropped down auxiliary pumps to dewater the engine room. A fisherman aboard RACHEL T acted as a Good Samaritan and assisted.

The Coast Guard cutter GRAND ISLE arrived and towed TWO MEGS to Boston.