Casualty News – Professional Mariner

23 Apr

Internal corrosion of hoisting wire led reel to fall to OSV’s deck

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Offshore services, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — On April 3, 2025, about 2145 local time, the offshore construction vessel Island Venture’s crane was being used to lift a wire reel from the back deck of the offshore supply vessel C Enforcer in Bayou Lafourche, Port Fourchon, La. The crane’s hoisting wire parted, causing the reel to drop onto C Enforcer’s main deck. There were no…

22 Apr

Mariana search update: Body recovered, five crew still missing

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsSearch and rescue, U.S. Coast Guard

(HONOLULU) — The U.S. Coast Guard and partners continued to search Thursday for missing crewmembers of the cargo vessel Mariana, which capsized last week in the Pacific Ocean north of Saipan. Coast Guard air crews and the crew of fast response cutter USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) searched east of the Northern Mariana Islands. A Japan Coast Guard Gulfstream V jet crew was slated to conduct additional searches Thursday afternoon.…

20 Apr

Six missing after U.S.-flagged vessel capsizes near Saipan

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsSearch and rescue, U.S. Coast Guard

(HONOLULU) — The U.S. Coast Guard and partners continued to search Sunday for the missing crew of the cargo vessel Mariana. At about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, a Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules airplane crew sighted debris, including a partially submerged, partially inflated life raft, approximately 95 nautical miles northeast of the overturned vessel. At the time of…

17 Apr

Debris in water possible culprit in Ohio River barge breakaway

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On April 16, 2024, about 0445 local time, the barges MPC 907 and MPC 644 broke free from their moorings at the Marathon Petroleum Co. (MPC) terminal dock at mile 793.8 on the Ohio River, near Evansville, Ind. The two barges contacted mooring cells about 1,500 feet downstream at the TransMontaigne terminal at mile 794.1. The barges were…

10 Apr

Corroded cooling pipe cited for flooding aboard Oliver Hazard Perry

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsLicensing and training, NTSB, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — About 2200 on May 10, 2025, the sailing school vessel Oliver Hazard Perry started taking on water while moored at Fort Adams State Park dock in Newport, R.I. About 0730 the following morning, a crewmember was awoken by an alarm and discovered the flooding. An estimated 21,000 gallons of seawater entered the engine room and the forward auxiliary…

09 Apr

Tug sinks after striking submerged object in Baltimore

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsSalvage, Tugboats and towing

(BALTIMORE) — A tugboat sank after striking an object in Curtis Creek on Wednesday morning, according to the Maryland Department of the Environment and local news outlets. Baltimore City Fire Department Marine Operations received a mayday call over VHF radio from the tugboat Gale, reporting that it had struck an object and was taking on water. The Baltimore City Fireboat…

01 Apr

Florida tug captain charged in collision that killed three children

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsLicensing and training, Tugboats and towing

(MIAMI) — A tugboat captain has been charged with seaman’s manslaughter after operating a barge with obstructed visibility and without a proper lookout, resulting in a fatal collision in Biscayne Bay that killed three children. “Our hearts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in this tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quinones for the Southern…

26 Mar

O-ring failure led to engine room fire on bulker in Alabama

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — On Jan. 4, 2025, about 2323 local time, the bulk carrier Lem Verbena was docked at the Alabama State Docks on the Mobile River in Mobile, Ala., with 19 crewmembers on board when a fire started in the engine room. The crew activated the vessel’s carbon-dioxide fixed fire extinguishing system. Shoreside firefighters later determined the fire had been…

26 Mar

Ships entangled after collision on Mississippi River near New Orleans

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsSalvage, U.S. Coast Guard

(NEW ORLEANS) — The U.S. Coast Guard is responding after two vessels, the freighter Pac Dubhe and bulk carrier African Buzzard, collided and subsequently grounded near mile marker 124.5 on the Mississippi River on Monday. African Buzzard is currently aground. The two vessels are entangled, with African Buzzard's anchor lodged in the bow of Pac Dubhe. Both vessel operators are…

20 Mar

NTSB cites pilot’s ‘expectation bias’ in grounding of bulker

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsLicensing and training, NTSB, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — On Jan. 8, 2025, at 1813 local time, the dry bulk carrier Algoma Verity was transiting upbound on the Delaware River near Philadelphia, Pa., when it ran aground outside the channel. The vessel repositioned and continued its upbound transit, outside the channel, until it grounded again at 1828. Algoma Verity was refloated three days later. No pollution or…