Casualty News – Professional Mariner

01 Jun

Loss of steering, valve misalignment cited in Vicksburg bridge strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On May 1, 2025, about 1454, the towing vessel Rickey Hughes was pushing 22 barges downbound on the Lower Mississippi River at mile 435.8 near Vicksburg, Miss., when the two lead barges on the starboard side of the tow contacted a fixed pier of the Vicksburg Highway 80 Bridge. As a result of the contact, seven barges broke…

15 May

Mate tells NTSB autopilot ‘tripped’ before tow hit Virginia bridge

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On June 15, 2024, about 1626 local time, the towing vessel Mackenzie Rose was pushing the loaded deck barge Weeks 281 while transiting the southern branch of the Elizabeth River in Chesapeake, Va., when the barge’s raked bow struck the Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad bridge. There were no injuries and no pollution was reported. The railroad…

13 May

Unexpected current led to Galveston barge breakaway, oil spill

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

(WASHINGTON) — On May 15, 2024, about 0947 local time, the towing vessel LCPL Phillip C George was departing the Texas International Terminal in Galveston, Texas, pushing two loaded tank barges, when the port quarter of the towboat struck a terminal dolphin. One of the barges, MMLP 321, separated from the tow and struck a power transmission pole and the…

11 May

Captain’s cellphone use cited in collision, sinking of towboat

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On Dec. 29, 2024, about 1934 local time, the towing vessel Patrick J Studdert and bulk carrier Clara B collided while underway on the Lower Mississippi River at mile 122 near Luling, La. Patrick J Studdert sank, forcing all five crewmembers to abandon the vessel into the water. A sheen of diesel fuel was visible downriver. The crew…

29 Apr

Coast Guard suspends search for crew of capsized vessel off Saipan

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Search and rescue, U.S. Coast Guard

(HONOLULU) — The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Tuesday night for the missing crewmembers of the cargo vessel Mariana. Mariana reportedly experienced a disabled engine approximately 140 miles northwest of Saipan on April 15. The six crewmembers aboard at the time of the incident were Frederick L. Nosek Jr., Landon Delos Reyes, Jose L. Ramirez, Mohammed A. Rahaman, Chet R. Brochon, and Vincent B. Agulto. One body…

27 Apr

Fire aboard pipelayer likely involved refrigerator in cabin

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB

(WASHINGTON) — On Dec. 1, 2024, about 0352, the pipelayer Deep Energy was docked at the Millard Maritime facility in Theodore, Ala., undergoing maintenance, when a fire started in one of the vessel’s three crane cabins. The crew began fighting the fire and contacted the local fire department, which extinguished the fire. There were no injuries. The crane cabin on…

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…