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The U.S. Coast Guard released the results of an investigation Tuesday, into the Jan. 31 crane accident in the Coast Guard buoy yard in Homer, which resulted in the death of Chief Warrant Officer Michael Kozloski.

The investigation found improper operation of the shoreside crane was the direct cause of the mishap. The investigation further revealed leadership deficiencies aboard the Cutter Hickory which contributed to inadequate crewmember training and complacency with shoreside operations.

Rear Adm. Matthew T. Bell Jr., commander of the 17th Coast Guard District, temporarily relieved the commanding officer of Homer-based Cutter Hickory citing a loss of confidence in the officer’s ability to perform his duties.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue reading

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The Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay Officer-in-Charge, Chief Warrant Officer Thomas Molloy, provided testimony for the Mary B II case yesterday.

Molloy’s testimony described the dangerous conditions of the sea during the evening of the capsizing incident.

Molloy said that it was dark and waves where up to 16-feet high. Two Coast Guard vessels tried to assist the Mary B II by using MK127 illumination flares to assist in visibility.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue reading

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The crew of four abandoned ship after the F/V Clyde began taking on water after reportedly hitting a rock south of Atka Island, Saturday.

An EPIRB alert was received from the fishing vessel and the captain’s wife called to report she had received a phone call confirming he was aboard the vessel relative to where the alert was coming from.

Watchstanders diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley with a Dolphin helicopter and crew aboard and launched a Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak C-130 Hercules aircraft crew.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue reading

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A 51-year-old male fisherman suffered a leg injury aboard the fishing vessel Araho when when a storage crate fell on him as he was stacking fish pans approximately 50-miles northeast of St. Paul, Friday.

Air Station Kodiak a Jayhawk and a C-130 Hercules aircraft crew providing communications cover. The Jayhawk crew arrived on scene, lowered a rescue swimmer who safely positioned the fisherman in a stokes litter, brought him into the Jayhawk cabin and transported him to the St. Paul Clinic.

By Tom Evans, Injury at Sea.

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The F/V ANN KATHLEEN was abandoned after it caught fire on Thursday, May 2nd near Bandon, Oregon. Good Samaritan F/V LYNOMA rescued the fishermen from their life raft, then transferred them to a U.S. Coast Guard vessel after it arrived on the scene. No one was injuries were reported in the accident.

On Thursday afternoon at low tide, the 64-foot wood and fiberglass fishing vessel washed ashore just north of Floras Lake. Reportedly the vessel was still burning when it ran aground. Bandon Fire Chief Lanny Boston said the vessel was carrying approximately 2,000 gallons of diesel, which fueled the fire. By Friday, the fire had been successfully extinguished. Officials are investigating the cause of the fire.

Members of the local fire department, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality all evaluated the site for toxic materials. They are creating a response plan to safeguard the beach and a nearby shorebird nesting area. The area in which the vessel burned is a designated recovery area for the threatened western snowy plover.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue reading

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Five fishermen were rescued from their life raft Tuesday after they were forced to abandon their fishing vessel taking on water southeast of Sitka.

A Coast Guard helicopter hoisted all five people and brought them to Sitka, uninjured.

A Channel 16 transmission was heard “Mayday, vessel Masonic going down,” at approximately 2:33 a.m. The vessel’s last position south of Cape Decision was determined via their automatic identification system (AIS) after Coast Guard attempts to raise the caller on the radio were unsuccessful.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue reading

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Members of the Unified Command responding to the Ann Kathleen continue containment and cleanup operations on the coast near Bandon, this week.

Since the initial fire and beaching of the 64-foot commercial fishing vessel on Thursday, partner agencies have removed 1080 gallons of diesel fuel from the vessel.

A helicopter delivered fuel totes to a fuel truck at Cape Blanco Airport, Monday. It also removed an aluminum tank and two large chunks of debris.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue reading

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The Coast Guard rescued 10 people aboard a vessel in distress 25-miles southwest of Neah Bay, Thursday afternoon.

The Coast Guard Cutter Wahoo and a 47-foot Motor Life Boat from Station Neah Bay rescued four minors and six adults and escorted the vessel to Neah Bay with no reported injuries.

The distress call, at 10:15 a.m., from a person aboard the 33-foot recreational vessel, “Doesn’t Matter”, who reported to be taking on water southwest of Cape Flattery. The engine failed and the installed bilge pumps were unable to handle the rate at which water was flowing into the boat.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue reading

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Coast Guard medically evacuated a 29-year-old crewman from a 665-foot commercial freighter, Great Fluency, in the Straight of Juan De Fuca, Washington, Sunday morning.

The man was reportedly exposed to phosphene gas and was safely transported to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles for further medical attention.

At approximately 7:20 a.m., Coast Guard District 13 watch standers received a notification from the Great Fluency that a member of their crew had been exposed to phosphene gas, a common chemical aboard vessels of this type.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue reading

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A 38-year-old crewman, suffering symptoms of a heart attack, was transported to Air Station Kodiak where he was placed in the care of awaiting EMS. He was taken to Kodiak Providence Hospital.

Coast Guard Juneau received a request for the medevac at about 9 p.m. from the master of the 49-foot longline fishing vessel Resurrection.

The aircrew launched from the air station, arrived on scene and lowered a rescue swimmer with a rescue basket before hoisting the man to the helicopter.

by Tom Evans, Injury at Sea. Continue reading