Casualty News – Page 9 – Professional Mariner

06 Aug

Open hatch likely led to megayacht sinking in Chesapeake Bay

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsmegayachts

(WASHINGTON) — On July 27, 2024, at about 12:35 p.m. local time, the yacht Lovebug was transiting Chesapeake Bay in the West River north of Shady Side, Md., when the vessel started listing heavily to starboard. The four crewmembers and one owner on board abandoned the vessel and were rescued by nearby vessel crews. The 122-foot yacht partially sank in…

05 Aug

Coast Guard rescues crew of sinking tug in Gulf of Alaska

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

(KODIAK, Alaska) — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued four people from a sinking tugboat Friday in the Gulf of Alaska. Watch standers at the Coast Guard Arctic District command center in Juneau received a report at 10:17 a.m. that the 110-foot Sea Ranger was taking on water 130 miles south of Cordova. Watch standers directed the launch of an HC-130…

04 Aug

Death toll hits three after sailboat, barge collide near Miami Beach

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsU.S. Coast Guard

(MIAMI) — A 10-year-old girl has become the third person to die after a sailboat and barge collided near Miami Beach, CBS12 News reported Monday. The U.S. Coast Guard announced the death of the girl in an X post on Sunday, stating, "It is with heavy hearts that investigators announce the passing of the 10-year-old child who was in critical…

04 Aug

Pilot overcompensated for cross-current before Iowa bridge strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — Anticipating a strong cross-current that never materialized, an experienced tow pilot deviated from the sailing line on the Mississippi River and struck components of the Fort Madison Bridge near Fort Madison, Iowa, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday. The towing vessel Joe B. Wyatt was pushing 13 loaded hopper barges and two empty tank barges downriver…

22 Jul

TSB: Ferry collision points to training gap for recreational boaters

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsferries, TSB

(QUEBEC CITY) — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its investigation report into the collision between the passenger ferry Svanoy and a pleasure craft. The TSB has issued a safety concern highlighting that current requirements for training and certifying pleasure craft operators do not equip them with the depth of knowledge necessary for safe navigation in high-traffic…

17 Jul

Tow pilot was distracted by cellphone before hitting moored barges

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty Newsbrownwater, NTSB, Tugboats and towing

(WASHINGTON) — A tow pilot’s distraction caused by personal cellphone use resulted in the tow striking moored barges last year on the Lower Mississippi River, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday. The towing vessel William B. Klunk was pushing 22 loaded hopper barges on April 17, 2024, when the tow struck moored barges at a fleeting area near…

01 Jul

NTSB releases first report on fatal Brooklyn Bridge strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsNTSB, U.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — On May 17, at 4:24 p.m., ARM Cuauhtemoc BE 01, a Mexican Navy tall ship with 277 crewmembers and cadets aboard, struck the Brooklyn Bridge after departing from Pier 17 in Manhattan on the East River in New York City, damaging all three of the ship’s masts. Two fatalities and 19 injuries, ranging from minor to serious, occurred…

25 Jun

Towboat captain did not identify charted hazard before grounding

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

(WASHINGTON) — A towing vessel grounded on a submerged jetty last year after the captain maneuvered too close to a bank of the Ohio River, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday. The tow vessel Tom Frazier was pushing 15 empty hopper barges near Portsmouth, Ohio, on Feb. 10, 2024, when the vessel grounded, damaging its hull plating, framing…

25 Jun

Car carrier sinks off Alaska three weeks after fire began

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsU.S. Coast Guard

(KODIAK, Alaska) — The U.S. Coast Guard has concluded its response to a fire on the car carrier Morning Midas, which capsized and sank Monday in international waters approximately 450 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska. The Coast Guard received notification that the vessel capsized at 5:35 p.m. and sank to a depth of approximately 16,400 feet in international waters. Fire…

09 Jun

Speed cited as key factor in fatal Miami Harbor collision

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsU.S. Coast Guard

(WASHINGTON) — On June 25, 2023, at approximately 3:05 a.m., the small passenger ferry vessel Pelican II was underway northbound from the Fisher Island ferry terminal west, Miami Harbor, en route to the Causeway Island ferry terminal in Miami, Fla. The vessel had three crewmembers, no passengers and no cargo or vehicles on board. At approximately 3:06 a.m., Pelican II…