INJURY AT SEA IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS. Our staff is working remotely until further notice to help protect our employees, clients, and our communities from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Our legal team will be answering calls, voicemail, and email, and will conduct all business by telephone, video conference, email or other electronic means. IF YOU HAVE BEEN INJURED AT SEA WE ARE STILL HERE TO HELP! We are still available 24/7 to talk about your case. We appreciate your patience until we are able to resume full and normal operations of all of our offices. We will get through this together!

Articles Posted in Recreational Boaters

| by

The Coast Guard suspended its search Tuesday at 8 p.m. for Michael Smith missing in the waters between La Conner and Blaine, Washington.

The Swinomish Tribal Police Department relayed the report that a man had been reported overdue by a family member. According to a relative, Smith was scheduled to arrive in Blaine by sunset Monday.

Crews including Coast Guard, Swinomish Tribal Police and numerous Tribal fishing vessels searched 143 square miles for 11 hours.

With great regret, the search is suspended pending further developments. If anyone has information regarding the whereabouts of Mr. Smith, please call Sector Puget Sound at 206-217-6001.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

| by

The Coast Guard is searching for a reported missing person between La Conner and Blaine, Washington. Missing is Michael Smith, 39, last seen wearing black shorts and a blue sweatshirt.

At approximately 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Swinomish Tribal Police Department notified Coast Guard that a man had been reported overdue by a family member having failed to arrive in Blaine by sunset Monday after leaving La Conner on Monday at 3 p.m.in an 18-foot teal and white skiff.

Coast Guard issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and launched multiple Coast Guard crews.

If anyone has information regarding the whereabouts of Mr. Smith, please call Sector Puget Sound at 206-217-6001.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

| by

Coast Guard Station Valdez assisted the pleasure craft, Diva, taking on water Friday near Port Fidalgo, approximately 50 nautical miles south from Valdez, Alaska.

A Coast Guard crew arrived on scene and determined the vessel had a weak seam affecting the forward bilge. They passed a pump to assist with the flooding and escorted the vessel back to Valdez with no injuries reported.

The initial report from the pleasure craft, Diva, was that they struck a rock and sustained a hole to their bow. The hole was reported to be above the waterline and members used a tarp and pumps to keep up with the flooding.

“We were able to assist the crew of the Diva because they stayed calm and applied quick thinking in the event of an emergency,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Ben Ahlin from Station Valdez. “They maintained consistent radio communications and had proper emergency equipment.”

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

| by

The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan assisted a man aboard a recreational vessel that was hard aground and was taking on water on Saturday in Hood Bay, Alaska. The man reported that he could make his way to shore but there was an aggressive bear on shore preventing him from disembarking safely.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew arrived on scene and landed nearby the beached vessel, transferred a pump to keep up with the flooding, and assisted the owner secure the boat to shore.

The Coast Guard Cutter John McCormick and a Jayhawk helicopter launched to assist a good Samaritan vessel from Angoon which returned the man to Angoon, Alaska.

Sector Juneau received the initial distress call from the man aboard the recreational vessel stating he was hard aground and was taking on water in Hood Bay.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

| by

The Coast Guard rescued three people from the water early Friday morning after their boat capsized about a half of a mile northwest of Guemes Island.

A good Samaritan called at 10:22 p.m. Thursday from his residence on Guemes Island’s water edge and reported hearing multiple voices shouting. He said he saw no boats or lights in the water, but could hear both male and female voices shouting “where are you?” and “don’t give up, I’m right here.” He guessed the shouts were distress calls hailing from the water in the direction of Vendovi Island.

A Coast Guard Station Bellingham 45-foot Response Boat – Medium crew and a Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew launched to search for people in the water. They located and rescued three people at about 2 a.m. Friday, two males and one female, from the water off North Beach and confirmed they were pulling crab pots when their boat capsized. The people were not wearing life jackets. The Coast Guard rescue crew took the three survivors to Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes where emergency medical services personnel were waiting to conduct medical evaluations.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

| by

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

| by

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

| by

A Coast Guard aircrew rescued two kayakers in distress in the vicinity of Haystack Rock Saturday afternoon near Pacific City. Waist high rubber waders filled with water, dragged the man down and exhausted him as he tried to get back aboard.

The helicopter crew hoisted the kayakers and transported them to the helicopter pad at Pacific City Airport, where they were met by awaiting emergency medical services. Their medical condition is unknown at this time.

The emergency call came in at 1:47 p.m., requesting assistance in rescuing two kayakers in distress. One of the kayakers had fallen into the water near Haystack Rock. The Jayhawk helicopter crew was diverted from training, and a Coast Guard 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew launched. The helicopter crew located the two men and within 15 minutes, the rescue swimmer had recovered both men.

“It was good that they were wearing life jackets,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Billy Sizemore, the flight mechanic on the Jayhawk crew. “But, they were also wearing waist-high rubber waders, which filled with water and counteracted the buoyancy of the life jackets. Between the cold water and the heavy waders, the man simply couldn’t pull himself back into his kayak before succumbing to exhaustion and the preliminary stages of hypothermia.”

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

| by

A Coast Guard aircrew rescued a kayaker capsized near the Grays Harbor entrance Sunday afternoon near Ocean Shores, Washington.

The helicopter crew hoisted the kayaker and transported him to the helicopter pad at Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor, where he was checked out by emergency medical services. He was treated for symptoms related to hypothermia and released.

The call was received from Pacific County Dispatch at 2:10 p.m., requesting assistance in rescuing a reported capsized kayaker near the entrance to Grays Harbor. The Jayhawk helicopter crew was diverted from training, and 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Station Grays Harbor was launched due to the foggy conditions with visibility only 200 yards offshore. The kayaker was spotted by searchers at 2:45 p.m., and a rescue swimmer was lowered down to pull the man from the water at 2:53 p.m.

The man was dropped off to EMS at 3:10 p.m. The 47-foot MLB crew recovered the kayak.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

| by

The Coast Guard and Portland Fire and Rescue rescued six adults and one child Saturday afternoon from the 40-foot Lawilila which was impaled on a piling and taking on water in the vicinity of Kelley Point in Portland.

A Coast Guard 29-foot Response Boat and a Fire Boat removed the seven people from the vessel. No injuries were reported, and five of the boaters were taken to shore. The master of the boat and another person are reportedly assisting Tow Boat US in salvage efforts.

The mayday call was received at 1:05 p.m. and a Portland crew diverted from assisting a vessel aground near the I-205 Bridge and arrived on scene at 1:18 p.m. After assessing the incident, the Coast Guard crew removed five of the boaters from the Lawilila. Fire Boat 17 arrived on scene at 1:25 p.m. and removed the two other boaters.

The Lawilila reportedly impaled and stuck on a submerged piling. On-scene crews attempted to remove the boat from the piling but were unable to do so. Salvage efforts are continuing at this time.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

Contact Information
Injury at Sea has offices throughout Washington, Oregon, and Alaska
Phone: 800-732-7258 Phone: 800-SEA-SALT Fax: 206-527-0725

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2016 – 2021, Injury at Sea
JUSTIA Law Firm Blog Design