Casualty News – Page 4 – Professional Mariner

18 Feb

Salvors remove residual fuel from grounded barge in San Juan

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

(SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico) — The unified command announced salvors completed fuel removal operations Monday as assessments and preparations continue to remove a grounded fuel barge from the rocks along the San Felipe del Morro Castle shoreline. The barge Defiant grounded at about noon Feb. 9 just off the Port of San Juan harbor entrance. There were no reported injuries. The…

13 Feb

Master lacked real-time data on vertical clearance before bridge strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsTowboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — On May 7, 2025, a towing vessel struck a vertical lift bridge while transiting northbound on the Vermilion River in Perry, La., during rising river conditions. The investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard revealed that the vessel’s master miscalculated the bridge’s available clearance. This was due in part to relying on outdated river level data, which did not…

13 Feb

Two injured when U.S. destroyer, oiler collide in Caribbean

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsMilitary Sealift Command

(WASHINGTON) — The guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG-103) and fast oiler USNS Supply (AOE-6) collided in the Caribbean near South America during an underway replenishment on Wednesday, according to a U.S. Southern Command statement and USNI News. “Two personnel reported minor injuries and are in stable condition. Both ships have reported sailing safely. The incident is currently under investigation,” reads…

10 Feb

Fuel barge runs aground at entrance to San Juan Harbor

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsTugboats and towing, U.S. Coast Guard

(SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico) — U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan personnel are responding alongside local emergency agencies to a fuel barge that ran aground at about noon Monday off the San Juan Harbor port entrance by the San Felipe del Morro Castle. No injuries have been reported and there are no signs of pollution. The barge currently holds approximately…

09 Feb

Autonomous vessel was in test mode when it struck rowing scull

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsAutonomous vessels, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — On Aug. 7, 2024, a 16-foot autonomous vessel collided with a 27-foot recreational rowing vessel from a local rowing club on the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Md. At the time of the incident, the autonomous vessel was undergoing testing which required its anti-collision system to be disabled and was being observed by a reduced crew aboard a separately…

05 Feb

Crew seals generator space, contains fire aboard Lake Erie ATB

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsGreat Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On Dec. 30, 2024, about 1609, the articulated tug-barge Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder, with a crew of 16, was anchored in Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio, when a fire broke out in the generator space of the barge Pathfinder. The crew sealed the space and released the vessel’s fixed gas fire extinguishing system, putting out the fire. There were no…

23 Jan

Undetermined ignition source cited in Delaware River towboat fire

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On Feb. 18, 2025, at about 9:25 a.m., the towing vessel Thor was pushing two barges downbound on the Delaware River, 1.5 miles downriver of New Castle, Del., when a fire broke out in the engine room. Four crewmembers isolated the fire to the engine room and subsequently abandoned ship to a nearby tugboat. The fire was extinguished…

20 Jan

Bulker hits Wisconsin terminal after recurring generator problem

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News

(WASHINGTON) — On July 20, 2024, about 10:15 p.m. local time, the Canada-flagged bulk carrier Algoma Discovery struck five of the loading shuttles at the BNSF Allouez Taconite Facility in Superior, Wis., after losing electrical power and main propulsion while docking. There were no injuries and no pollution was reported. Damage to the Lake Superior facility was estimated at $950,000,…

20 Jan

Florida harbor pilot dies after falling from ladder on bulk carrier

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsPilots, U.S. Coast Guard

(PANAMA CITY, Fla.) — A maritime pilot died after falling from a ladder while disembarking a bulk carrier Jan. 12 near Panama City. Capt. Phillip Brady, 46, fell about 15 feet into the water while transferring from the Singapore-flagged Lowlands Luck, according to local media reports. He was recovered by the ship’s crew within about 2 minutes but was unresponsive.…

15 Jan

Tow breaks apart after barge takes on water, rapidly sinks

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — On March 16, 2024, about 0008 local time, the towing vessel Chad Pregracke was transiting southbound on the Lower Mississippi River pushing 34 loaded barges near mile 260.6, about 5 miles east of New Roads, La. The barge PTC 706 at the head of the tow rapidly sank, causing the tow to break apart. Five barges in the…