Casualty News – Professional Mariner

30 Dec

Captain fell asleep before tugboat hit Cape Disappointment docks

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — On Sept. 11, 2024, the towing vessel Schweiger was transiting the Baker Bay West Channel near Ilwaco, Wash., when it struck the U.S. Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment docks at 12:36 p.m. after veering out of the channel. There were no injuries. About 20 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the waterway as a result of the contact.…

23 Dec

NTSB: Unlit barges, reduced visibility led to Lower Miss. allision

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On Dec. 10, 2023, about 0139 local time, a tow guided by the towboat William E Strait was pushed in to the bank on the Lower Mississippi River near Norco, La., when the towing vessel Steel Skipper, which was reconfiguring the tow, pushed it astern. William E Strait contacted two moored barges upstream at the Shell Norco Refinery…

19 Dec

Improperly secured lithium-ion batteries cited in cargo ship fires

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — Heavy weather and an improperly secured cargo of lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) units led to two fires aboard the 410-foot cargo vessel Genius Star XI as it was transiting the North Pacific Ocean on Christmas Day 2023, causing $3.8 million in damage, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. Investigators determined that improperly secured lashing…

18 Dec

False alarm from oil mist detector led to engine shutdown, grounding

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsshipping, TSB

(DORVAL, Quebec) — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its investigation report into the 2024 grounding of the general cargo vessel Heemskerkgracht in the South Shore Canal of the St. Lawrence Seaway off Kahnawake, Quebec. On August 22, 2024, Heemskerkgracht ran aground after the main engine shut down due to the activation of a false alarm on…

01 Dec

Bulker refloated after grounding in Detroit River in high winds

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, shipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(DETROIT) — A Canadian-flagged bulk carrier that ran aground Wednesday night in the Detroit River was refloated Thursday with the assistance of tugboats, local media reported. The bulker Robert S. Pierson, en route from Windsor, Ontario, to Lorain, Ohio, with 18,000 tons of stone, reportedly attempted to drop anchor Wednesday night due to strong winds in the area. The ship…

01 Dec

Four crewmen injured in boxship fire at Port of Wilmington

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsPorts, shipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(WILMINGTON, Del.) — Four crewmembers were injured, one seriously, after fire broke out aboard a containership Wednesday in the Port of Wilmington. At about 9:30 a.m., the crew of the Liberian-flagged Chiquita Voyager reported a fire in the engine room. Personnel from multiple agencies responded to the incident, including units from the Wilmington Fire Department, New Castle County Emergency Management…

28 Nov

Boxship escorted back to Port of LA terminal after fire

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsPorts, shipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(SAN PEDRO, Calif.) — Under the direction of the unified command, crews returned the containership ONE Henry Hudson to Yusen Terminal at the Port of Los Angeles late Wednesday night. The vessel’s arrival marked a key transition into the next phase of the response, where longshore labor and salvage crews will begin offloading cargo and managing waste. The vessel, towed…

28 Nov

Crews complete removal of sunken tug at Bremerton Marina

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsSalvage, Tugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(BREMERTON, Wash.) — The unified command consisting of the U.S. Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology, Suquamish tribe, and the Port of Bremerton has concluded response operations associated with the tugboat Dominion at the Bremerton Marina. The vessel sank on Sept. 17 and the removal of the vessel is now complete. Dominion was a 130-foot World War II-era wooden hull…

24 Nov

TSB urges stronger safety measures after free-fall lifeboat accident

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newssafety, shipping, TSB

(RICHMOND, British Columbia) — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is urging stronger safety measures after a crewmember was seriously injured aboard the bulk carrier Golden Zhejiang’s lifeboat in 2023. The TSB highlights the need for proper procedures for risk assessments, equipment-specific training, and a safety management system supported by a mature safety culture with a trusted process for…

24 Nov

Fire contained aboard containership in Port of Los Angeles

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsPorts, shipping, U.S. Coast Guard

(SAN PEDRO, Calif.) — Crews under the unified command continued their response operations Tuesday after a fire aboard the containership One Henry Hudson in the Port of Los Angeles. At 9 a.m., active firefighting operations stopped as the fire, which started on Friday, had been contained as reported by the salvage master aboard the vessel. “Now that the fire is…