(WASHINGTON) — On Jan. 25, 2019 at 2:42 p.m., the towboat Miss Bobbie Fugit reported a missing crewmember (deck hand) and declared a man overboard between Tennessee River mile 206 and 216. The missing deck hand was last seen at approximately 9:40 a.m. on the port bow of the towing vessel preparing materials and tools to splice lines. The deck hand was reportedly wearing a work vest, type V personal flotation device (PFD) fitted with a water light, and an American Commercial Barge Lines (ACBL) jacket.
The U.S. Coast Guard, along with state and local agencies, initiated a search and rescue response. The Tennessee Highway Patrol conducted aircraft searches, while Hardin County Fire & Rescue vessels searched the Tennessee River from mile 206 to 215 for the missing deck hand. As the deck hand’s survivability diminished, the mission shifted from rescue to recovery on Jan. 26, 2019.
Coast Guard investigators and Hardin County sheriff deputies boarded Miss Bobbie Fugit near Pickwick Lock and Dam. They conducted interviews, collected witness statements, and examined the vessel, the missing deck hand’s stateroom, personal affects, and last known work area. Investigators identified multiple trip hazards and the lack of safety rail or chains between the trip hazards and water. They determined that sometime between 9:40 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., the deck hand tripped over the deck rigging and fell overboard near the port bow of the towing vessel. The port bow of the tow is where he was last seen working.
On March 22, 2019 the missing deck hand was recovered deceased near mile 209 of the Tennessee River. The medical examiner determined the cause of death was due to drowning. No positive findings of toxicological significance were revealed as relating to the cause of death.
The Coast Guard investigation identified the fall overboard as the initiating event. Contributing factors included trip hazards in the work area and lack of safety oversight or witnesses. The subsequent event was identified as death due to drowning with contributing factors to include inadequate watch relief and crew accountability, and inadequate PFD necessary to maximize survival time and flotation.
– U.S. Coast Guard
