MARITIME CASUALTY - WHAT WENT WRONG AND WHY

Our mission is to investigate and discover the facts and real reason for marine casualties what really happened and why. For years we have gone beyond the headlines and looked for real answers.

Articles Posted in Factory Trawler

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The Coast Guard medevaced a man from the 254ft fish processing vessel, Phoenix, approximately 50 miles north of Cold Bay Monday.

The initial medevac request from Phoenix came in at 10:41 a.m. Monday. The master reported that a crew member was experiencing stroke-like symptoms. A Coast Guard helicopter from the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley hoisted the 62-year-old crewman from the 254-foot fish processor, Phoenix, at 3:10 p.m. in testing conditions with winds to 40 mph. and 10 foot seas. The patient was flown to Cold Bay and placed in the care of an air ambulance crew.

Any injury or sickness at sea can become serious if not treated responsibly and in accordance with the relevant laws. An experienced attorney and investigators can determine if the laws might have been broken and work to make sure the injured seaman gets the compensation he deserves

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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American Seafoods reports that 86 crew of the 272-foot trawler, American Dynasty, which carries up to 142 crew, have tested positive for COVID-19. The American Dynasty has returned to its homeport of Seattle and is currently on lockdown. Crew members are in quarantine and being monitored by medical personnel.

While American Dynasty was docked in Bellingham one crew member became ill and was taken to hospital. That crewman tested positive for COVID-19 and remains in hospital.

According to American Seafoods, all crew were tested for COVID-19 before boarding the vessel. Only those who tested negative for the virus were allowed to board.

The novel coronavirus may be an inconvenience for some but other individuals have more severe symptoms that can lead to permanent mental and physical impairment, or death. COVID-19 outbreaks and positive tests among workers have been reported by a dozen other companies.

The U.S. Coast Guard, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Seattle/King County Health Department, Whatcom County Health Department, and the Port of Seattle, are investigating and working with American Dynasty to determine how this outbreak happened and how future outbreaks can be prevented.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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COVID-19 outbreaks and positive tests among workers have been reported by Blue Harvest Fisheries, Bristol Seafood, Bornstein Seafoods, High Liner Foods, Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Pacific Seafood, Peter Pan Seafoods, Thai Union and Trident Seafoods.

Exposure occurs through personal contact in cramped living quarters and close working conditions. Social distancing guideline are impractical in meat and seafood processing plants and vessels.

The novel coronavirus may be an inconvenience for some but other individuals have more severe symptoms that can lead to permanent mental and physical impairment, or death.

The U.S. Coast Guard, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and county and port health officials are all investigating and working with these companies to determine future outbreaks can be prevented.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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Operational flights of Coast Guard aircraft continue as required, and crews and aircraft are ready to respond to any requests for assistance.

During the planning phase of every search and rescue or medical evacuation mission, Coast Guard District 17 follows protocols to determine potential survivor exposure to COVID-19. Air Station Kodiak maintains appropriate personal protective equipment for aircrews during missions and has decontamination procedures and equipment for the crews and aircraft upon their landing. This capability is deployable anywhere Coast Guard aircraft can land.

Kodiak Coast Guard personnel and their families remain focused on the health and well-being of the entire Kodiak community, especially during this pandemic crisis. Many Coast Guard family members are actively serving the local community as doctors, nurses, and other front line healthcare providers. Many Coast Guard dependents are serving as teachers and educators providing essential online education to the Kodiak community.

Active Duty members and their families are actively volunteering in the community by providing meals, delivering groceries, sewing cloth masks, and providing financial support to those in need.

Coast Guard senior leaders also are members of the Kodiak Emergency Services Committee and the Kodiak Economic Task Force, as well as serving as part of the Kodiak Incident Command System.

Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak remains ready to serve Alaskans and the United States, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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A good Samaritan boat crew medevaced the injured captain of the the fish processing vessel Northwind, northeast of Biorka Island, Saturday.

The good Samaritan crew aboard the charter fishing vessel North River took the captain from the Northwind onto their vessel, then transported him to shore where he was transferred to the Coast Guard Helicopter that was able to land nearby.

F/V North River reported that the captain of the fish processing vessel Northwind potentially severed several fingers. Around the same time the Coast Guard helicopter crew was conducting a training flight in the area, heard a request for help over VHF channel 16 and diverted to respond.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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JUNEAU, Alaska — The Coast Guard urges mariners to use caution with the onset of heavy weather expected to affect the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea, this weekend.

The Coast Guard has notified the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Mellon, patrolling in the Bering Sea with an embarked Air Station Kodiak MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, to standby to assist mariners.

Capt. Diane Durham, chief of response, 17th District, said,. “We are encouraging all mariners to monitor National Weather Service reports and take appropriate safety precautions, such as pulling into a safe harbor or taking shelter in the lee of an island, in order to safeguard their crews.”

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A lawyer representing the family of Lonnie Jordan, an El Faro crew member, has filed a $100 million lawsuit against TOTE Service Inc. and TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, as well as the El Faro captain. The ship sank off the Bahamas on October 1st, and search and rescue ended after eight days. On October 5th, the U.S. Coast Guard found a body of a crewmember in a survival suit.

The lawsuit was filed family by attorney Willie E. Gary. Gary has accused the company of negligence and putting profit ahead of the lives of its employees. “We hope to get to the bottom of this,” Gary said. “We are at war now.”

“Tote Services, negligently permitted the El Faro to sail out to sea despite being in an unseaworthy condition to handle the conditions of a violent storm,” the lawsuit states.
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A shift in the approach to safety management of enclosed spaces on board ships is needed. Fifteen years ago, while working as an independent surveyor, I was carrying out a condition survey on board a bulk carrier. The scope of the survey included testing the emergency generator, located in the steering flat and accessed by an inclined ladder.

Accompanied by the superintendent and the chief engineer, we had no sooner reached the bottom of the space when the chief engineer urgently ordered us all out. By the time we had exited the space, within seconds, we were all in a state of dizziness and confusion, compounded by our inability to comprehend what had just occurred. Further investigation revealed that Freon gas had leaked from refrigeration machinery located in the steering flat and being heavier than air, had migrated into the emergency generator space, displacing breathable air. It was a lucky escape. Victims of asphyxiation in enclosed spaces deficient in oxygen will normally receive no such warning that anything is wrong or have the ability to quickly escape.
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A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew medevaced an injured mariner from a fish-processing vessel in Beaver Inlet, near Dutch Harbor, Tuesday.

The Dolphin helicopter crew launched from Cold Bay, where they were staged overnight for a different case, and safely hoisted the injured man for transport to emergency medical services in Dutch Harbor.

The crew of the Northern Victor, a 360-foot fish-processing vessel, notified the Coast Guard 17th District command center of the injured crewmember, reportedly suffering from a swollen leg, Tuesday morning.

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