maritime accidents – Professional Mariner

01 Jun

Five die, eight missing after liftboat capsizes near Port Fourchon

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsCoast Guard, Gulf of Mexico, marine casualties, mariners, maritime accidents, maritime casualties, maritime fatalities, maritime news, NTSB, SEACOR Power

Five people died and eight others remain missing after a liftboat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico near Port Fourchon, La., after encountering hurricane-force winds while underway. The 234-foot SEACOR Power rolled over at about 1630 on April 13, roughly 7 nautical miles from the port. The vessel came to rest on the seafloor partially submerged. Winds had exceeded 80…

01 Jun

Tanker’s speed, hydrodynamics cited in Houston T-bone collision

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty News30015T, Genesis River, Houston Ship Channel, mariners, maritime accidents, maritime industry, maritime news, Voyager

The speed of a tanker was a primary factor in a T-bone collision in the Houston Ship Channel that nearly tore a barge in half and caused a chemical spill, federal investigators determined. The 754-by-122-foot Genesis River struck a barge pushed by the towboat Voyager at about 1515 on May 10, 2019 near the Bayport Ship Channel. Genesis River hit…

01 Jun

Crew escapes after engine rod failure leads to towboat fire

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsCity of Cleveland, Lower Mississippi River, mariners, maritime accidents, maritime industry, maritime news, NTSB

The 140-foot City of Cleveland was pushing 18 barges up the Lower Mississippi River when the captain heard a sound similar to a log hitting a propeller. Moments later, the port engine stopped and flames erupted from the engine room. The nine crewmembers on the towboat escaped to a barge and were later rescued by a good Samaritan vessel. No one was…

01 Jun

Barge hits St. Johns River jetty, grounds after being towed away

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsBridgeport, Coast Guard, Global Diving & Salvage, Margery, mariners, maritime accidents, maritime industry, maritime news, tugboats

A barge carrying coal ash hit a jetty marking the entrance to the St. Johns River east of Jacksonville, Fla., with the breached vessel ultimately grounding more than a mile south on the Atlantic shoreline after being towed away. The tugboat Margery had the 418-foot Bridgeport under tow when the barge hit a submerged section of the south jetty at…

02 May

Towboat pilot ‘tried to outrun’ current before Louisiana bridge strike

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsAmerican River Transportation Co., Cooperative Spirit, Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge, mariners, maritime accidents, maritime news, Mississippi River, NTSB

The pilot of a towboat pushing 29 barges down the Mississippi River failed to compensate for the fast-moving current before hitting a bridge pier near Luling, La., federal investigators said. Cooperative Spirit’s tow broke apart after striking the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge at 0113 on March 15, 2020. One barge sank and another was destroyed. Total damage and lost cargo…

02 May

Barge runs into shorefront homes after tug master falls asleep

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsColvos Passage, Gig Harbor, Island Chief, Island Tug & Barge Co., mariners, maritime accidents, maritime industry, maritime news

An empty gravel barge careened into several waterfront homes near Gig Harbor, Wash., after the tugboat’s captain fell asleep at the controls. The 71-foot, 1,800-hp Island Chief was pushing the barge south in the Colvos Passage when it veered toward land at about 0715 on March 15. The barge hit one house and damaged decks and property at two other…

02 May

Towboat loses power, hits Ohio River dam before drifting through

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsBelleville, Coast Guard, Crounse Corp., Edith Tripp, mariners, maritime accidents, maritime news, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Eight crewmembers escaped from an upbound towboat that lost propulsion on the Ohio River and drifted through a dam near Belleville, W.Va. The 1,800-hp Edith Tripp struck the Belleville Dam at about 1300 on March 3 before passing through one of the structure’s open gates. The towboat’s empty hopper barge, which was not identified, became wedged against the dam before…

02 May

Strong current pins tow to railroad bridge over Tennessee River

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsBearcat, Loudon, maritime accidents, maritime news, NOAA, Norfolk Southern railroad bridge, Serodino Inc.

A towboat pushing eight loaded barges up the Tennessee River ran into fast-moving current that stopped the tow’s forward progress and pinned it against a railroad bridge. The 76-foot Bearcat was passing under the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge at mile 591.5 near Loudon, Tenn., when it encountered trouble at about 0630 on Feb. 21. The tow remained stuck against the span…

02 May

Venerable icebreaking workboat sinks at its slip in Milwaukee

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsCoast Guard, Harbor Seagull, Kinnickinnic River, maritime accidents, maritime news, Port of Milwaukee

In the early morning hours of Feb. 22, Port of Milwaukee harbor master Wayne Johnson got a phone call he wasn’t expecting. The port’s 60-year-old workboat, Harbor Seagull, had sunk at its slip in about 20 feet of water. “When I got that call … my heart went up into my throat,” he said. “To see her on the bottom…

22 Dec

Three crew rescued from barge after tugboat sinks off RI coast

Professional Mariner StaffCasualty NewsCoast Guard, maritime accidents, Point Judith, rescue, tugboat, Warthog

Three mariners sought refuge on a deck barge after their tugboat took on water near Point Judith, R.I., and they were unable to keep up with the flooding. The 46-foot Warthog was towing the unidentified 108-foot barge west toward Long Island Sound on Nov. 25 when the tug encountered trouble. A female crewmember called for help at 0817 before all…