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.

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The Coast Guard medevaced a badly injured crewman from fishing boat Patricia Lee Tuesday approximately 200 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor.

The initial request for the medevac came from the Patricia Lee at about 4 p.m. Tuesday. The master reported a crew member had sustained serious injuries to his pelvic region after becoming pinned by a crab pot about 225 miles west of Dutch Harbor.

Work at sea can be hazardous. The law tries to ensure risks are minimised but when things go wrong the resulting injuries can be devastating or fatal.

A Coast Guard helicopter hoisted the injured man from the 117-foot, commercial fishing vessel Patricia Lee at about 11:50 p.m. He was flown to Dutch Harbor and placed in the care of LifeMed personnel.

The helicopter crew launched from Cold Bay, while the Patricia Lee made way toward Dutch Harbor. A Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft crew and an additional MH-60 Jayhawk aircraft crew were launched from Air Station Kodiak to provide back up.

A livelihood lost to an accident disrupts whole families. Expert attorneys can determine what went wrong, establish liability, and pursue legal remedies so proper compensation can enable a family to survive the events.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan vessel the Quinault rescued the crew of three from 48-foot fishing vessel Garda Marie taking on water Friday one mile north of Tatoosh Island near Cape Flattery. The Garda Marie sank.

The report came in at 1:15 a.m. Friday that the 48-foot commercial fishing vessel Garda Marie was taking on water. Coast Guard issued an urgent marine information broadcast (UMIB), diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast and crew and directed the launch of air and boatcrews from Coast Guard Station Neah Bay and Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles.

The good Samaritan vessel Quinnault responded to the UMIB and arrived on scene within 20 minutes. The Quinnault crew transferred all three from the Garda Marie to their vessel with no reported injuries.

A Coast Guard 47-foot Motor Lifeboat escorted the Quinnault to shore, while a second 47-foot MLB crew reported finding a debris field and recovered an electronic position indicating radio beacon activated on the Garda Marie. The Garda Marie reportedly had approximately 400 gallons of diesel on board.

The cause of the sinking is unknown at this time. Could it have been equipment failure, or human error? An expert attorney could determine if the crewmen whose lives were in danger in this case could possibly be due compensation.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Polyak, command duty officer for Sector Puget Sound said “While the loss of the fishing vessel is unfortunate, given the dangerous conditions offshore, the quick response from all responding parties resulted in three lives saved.”

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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A crewman went missing from the fishing vessel Stormie B. The crewmember in an inflatable boat powered by two oars, was wearing a survival suit with strobe. The Coast Guard was able to find him, deploy a rescue swimmer, hoist the crewman and safely transport him to the local cannery near Lazy Bay in Kodiak, Alaska.

The call for help came from the master of the fishing vessel Stormie B at 12:36 a.m., who notified the Coast guard of an overdue crewmember in the inflatable boat powered by two oars. The crew of the Stormie B reportedly spent two hours searching but were unable to find the missing man. Sector watchstanders directed the launch of an aircrew from Air Station Kodiak and the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Naushon. The aircrew was able to locate the overdue crewmember, who was wearing a survival suit with a strobe light activated, which possible saved his life.

This man was saved. He could have died. Maritime injury specialists can determine when and how much compensation might be due in case of injury or death due to improper equipment, failure to follow safety procedures, failure to meet safety regulations, etc.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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The Coast Guard medevaced a woman Wednesday from the cruise ship Celebrity Millennium in Chatham Strait, near Sitka. The aircrew retrieved the woman at approximately 10 a.m. and transferred her to Sitka, for further transport to a higher level of care.

Maritime Law is complex and includes rights for those who might need medical care. Vessel operators must ensure suitable care is available and can be held liable for not living up to their legal responsibilities.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Juneau Command Center received the request for a medevac from the cruise ship Celebrity Millennium at approximately 8 a.m. for a 55-year-old passenger who was suffering from chest pain. Watchstanders directed the launch of the Jayhawk aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Sitka.

It takes an expert to find out what happened and get compensation for injured parties in cases where legal responsibilities have not been met.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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The Coast Guard rescued four crewmen Thursday from a fishing vessel that ran aground near Dutch Harbor.

Although no injuries were reported, incidents like this are often serious and need detailed investigation by seasoned experts to determine if there is case for the crew to claim damages.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Cutter Bertholf hoisted all four survivors from a rock near the grounded fishing vessel Endurance, approximately one mile west of Egg Island, near the entrance to Beaver Inlet, Unalaska. They were flown to Dutch Harbor and placed in the care of awaiting EMS with no injuries reported at the time of transfer.

The Endurance reported at 10:57 p.m. Wednesday that they had run aground, were severely listing, and taking on water. The helicopter crew arrived on scene just after midnight to find all four survivors huddled on a rock with the tide coming in. They had escaped the grounded vessel on a skiff. All four were wearing life jackets. Capt. Timothy Brown, Bertholf’s commanding officer. “Thankfully, these mariners were well-prepared for emergency, and took the proper actions in time to notify the Coast Guard and get off the vessel. We were very fortunate to be close by and able to arrive on scene quickly.” The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the grounding, as well as monitoring the grounded vessel.

This crew was lucky to escape. If rescue had not been in time they could have been drowned by the rising tide, or suffered exposure overnight. Incidents need to be investigated for compliance with the laws of the sea and for mariners to be awarded compensation.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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A good Samaritan rescued a man after his kayak overturned near Keene Island, approximately 14 nautical miles south of Petersburg, Alaska, Sunday.

A good Samaritan on a vessel located the kayaker in the water and recovered him. The good Samaritan then transferred the man to a Coast Guard 45-foot Response Boat-Medium, who took the man to shore in Petersburg to awaiting EMS.

Coast Guard had received a report from Petersburg Police Department at 11:30 a.m. of the man in the water after his kayak overturned. They diverted a Coast Guard helicopter crew and a Ketchikan boat crew transiting back to Ketchikan after temporarily working out of Juneau.

“The assistance the good Samaritan gave aided to the timely recovery of the kayaker,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Jared Buchmiller, Sector Juneau command duty officer. “The Alaskan maritime community is an asset to the Coast Guard and the public.”

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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The Coast Guard suspended the search for a missing person near Whittier, Alaska, Saturday.

Still missing is Victor Moreno, who was last seen wearing a green jacket, green pants, and brown boots.
Cordova Police Department reported that Moreno was noticed missing from a recreational vessel at approximately 6 a.m. and it was presumed he fell overboard.

Safety at sea is critical. Lives can be lost or saved by suitable equipment and proper maintenance. Experts can determine when loss is by cause and can assist in getting compensation for the bereaved family to help them re-build their future.

The Coast Guard suspended the search at 8:30 p.m. Coast Guard boat and aircrews dedicated over 13 hours of search time and covered approximately 325 square nautical miles.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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A Coast Guard helicopter medevaced a sick mariner from the bulk carrier Restinga, Wednesday, near Cold Bay. The Crewman was showing symptoms of likely suffering from a stroke.

The Jones Act has complex provisions to ensure that working conditions are safe, including helping rescue services transport sick or injured mariners. It pays to consult a qualified experienced attorney to discuss your rights and possible compensation in case of sickness or injury at sea, or dockside.

Coast Guard watchstanders received a 1pm call from the Alaska Maritime Agency in Dutch Harbor reporting the individual was suffering from a possible stroke while the vessel was 140 miles south of Dutch Harbor.

The aircrew safely transported the 42-year-old male to Dutch Harbor, where they conducted a wing-to-wing transfer with a LifeMed crew, who then transported him to Anchorage for further care.

“Two assets were used to complete the medevac due to the vessel’s distance offshore,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Dustin Lake, an operations specialist stationed at the command center in Juneau. “The MH-60 was the asset conducting the hoist while the C-130 was there as a communications platform. In the event something happened to the helicopter, they would be there to drop lifesaving rescue equipment. Having a secondary aircraft is a common procedure in the Coast Guard and reduces the risk during operations conducted so far offshore.”

Contact an experienced attorney to discuss any such injury or illness related to maritime situations. It pays to know your rights.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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A sightseeing plane, with five passengers from a Holland America Line cruise from Seattle, crashed Thursday in southeast Alaska, killing all six people on board.

This is considered a maritime/admiralty matter cover by the Jones Act. Maritime employees are covered by the Jones Act/General maritime law and also passengers, although not seaman, are entitled to some maritime protections.

Reportedly the plane’s emergency alert beacon was activated around 11:20 a.m. in the area of Misty Fjords National Monument, near Ketchikan. A helicopter reported seeing wreckage on a ridgeline in the search area, and Coast Guard crew members found the wreckage around 2:40 p.m.

The aircraft involved is a float plane owned by Southeast Aviation LLC, a company that provides flightseeing tours as well as air charter services to other Southeast Alaska communities, according to its website. Holland America Line says the five passengers on the flight were from the company’s cruise ship Nieuw Amsterdam, which departed from Seattle on July 31 and stopped in Ketchikan on Thursday.

It takes experienced expert maritime attorneys to represent seamen and passengers who may be due compensation under the Jones act. The Jones Act is specific Maritime Law that is complex to interpret and apply, and applies to seaman and passengers in specific cases. It takes experts to fully investigate the circumstances of the maritime injury or death and experienced maritime attorneys to determine how much compensation may be due to the victims and their families in case of injury or loss of life.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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The Coast Guard began a search Thursday evening for a 75-year-old man on a 14-foot skiff reported missing near Port Angeles.

The man was reported missing by a fellow fisherman after losing sight of his fishing vessel and was overdue to return to shore.

The mariner was fishing near Freshwater Bay to Crescent Bay Buoy 2 and back to Freshwater Bay. The mariner’s friends last talked to him via cell phone at 3:26 p.m. and about 10 minutes later saw him approximately a half mile west of the Crescent Bay Buoy 2 traveling on his kicker motor westward. It was reported that the overdue mariner’s main engine was not working earlier in the day and he had been using his kicker to maneuver. The mariner also reportedly had a large amount of fishing gear and other general items on his vessel.

Watchstanders at the 13th Coast Guard District command center were notified at 6:40 p.m. An urgent marine information broadcast was issued as an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Port Angeles, and a small boat crew from Station Port Angeles were directed to respond and on scene.

Multiple partner agencies and a rotation of Coast Guard crews participated in the coordinated search operations, including the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Vector and crew, as well as Naval Station Whidbey Island helicopter crews.

The overdue mariner had no reported medical problems and was reported to most likely have had food and water onboard as well as life jackets, but reportedly no VHF radios on board.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue Reading

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