Sector Charleston News

Four divers that went missing off the U.S. East Coast on Sunday were rescued Monday 46 miles southeast of Cape Fear River, N.C.The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector North Carolina initially received a notification Sunday from Coast Guard Sector Charleston stating four men were diving from the pleasure craft Big Bill’s, approximately 63 miles east of Myrtle Beach, S.C. near noon, and had not resurfaced. Sectors Charleston and North Carolina coordinated a multi-asset…

A towing vessel sank Tuesday night approximately 3 miles off North Myrtle Beach, S.C.Horry County Fire Rescue personnel rescued the three crew members aboard the vessel, identified as the 59-foot-long Jacqueline A—a U.S.-registered pusher tug built in 1981. No injuries have been reported.The vessel is currently in 30 feet of water, and has approximately 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board, the U.S. Coast Guard said. There are no reports of shoreline impacts, and the vessel’s owner…

The U.S. Coast Guard will enforce a temporary safety zone in the Savannah River on Thursday for the import of the largest gauge ship-to-shore cranes in U.S. history.The Coast Guard said its captain of the Port Savannah would establish a safety zone during the import of the cranes to ensure the safety and security of the public and all vessels in the channel. The safety zone is expected to take place from 12:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., Feb. 9.No Vessel Permitted in Safety Zone"Vessels are not permitted to enter into, transit through, moor, or anchor within 1,500 feet of the motor vessel Biglift Baffin. No vessels will be permitted in the safety zone 30 minutes prior to…

A Maersk containership has been refloated after running aground in the Savannah River near Fort Jackson on Tuesday.The U.S. Coast Guard said it was notified at 6:09 p.m. via the vessel agent of Maersk Surabaya that the vessel had run aground.The 1,091-foot box ship was repositioned to the center of the shipping channel with the help of seven tugs. AIS ship tracking data shows the vessel was aground for about 2 hours. The Danish-flagged vessel is now safely moored, and no injuries…

An ailing crew member was medevaced from a tugboat 16 miles east of Brunswick, Ga., the U.S. Coast Guard said.Another crew member aboard the Captain Sam notified Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders at 7 p.m. on Saturday, via VHF-FM channel 16 that the man was experiencing abdominal pain.A Coast Guard Station Brunswick 45-foot Response Boat—Medium boat crew transferred the 62-year-old man to awaiting emergency medical services at Morning Star Marina.EMS transported the man to Southeast Georgia Medical Center for further medical care."Our boat crew was able to disembark the crew member safely," said Seaman Gianna Calderone, a Coast Guard Station Brunswick boat crew member.

An ailing crew member was medevaced from the car carrier Morning Capo approximately 12 miles east of Brunswick, Ga., the U.S. Coast Guard said.Marine Safety Unit Savannah watchstanders relayed a message from a Morning Capo crew member to Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders at 2:27 a.m. via landline that a 35-year-old-man male crew member aboard was experiencing severe abdominal pain.A Coast Guard Station Brunswick 45-foot Response Boat—Medium boat crew arrived on scene at 6:20 a.m. and transferred the man to awaiting EMS at Station Brunswick."The Morning Capo crew members good communications on VHF-FM Channel 16 helped our crew position the RBM to a safe location to transfer the man," said Petty Officer 2nd Class William Butler, a crewmember on the case.

A 120-foot dredge barge capsized in the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders received a call at 3:34 a.m. from the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina staff stating the dredge barge rolled over on its side in the marina. There were no persons aboard the Capt Leo II when it capsized, but the dredge barge has a reported maximum potential of 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board. Photos shared by the…

A burn victim was medevaced from a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker approximately 179 miles east of Charleston, S.C., on Sunday.The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Charleston were notified on Saturday around 7:46 p.m. that a crew member aboard the Southern Shark obtained chemical burns during a tank cleaning. A Coast Guard Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew was launched to medecac the ailing 45-year-old mariner, who was airlifted and transferred to Augusta Burn Center Hospital by 3:03 p.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it has suspended its search Tuesday evening for a containership crewmember who went missing after he fell while transiting the gangway to the motor vessel Maersk Tukang in the Port of Savannah.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Charleston received the initial notification from the Georgia Port Authority at approximately 3 a.m., Tuesday, stating a man had fallen into the water and had not resurfaced.The man has been identified as Joe Williams, 70, who is from the greater Savannah area."Our thoughts are with the loved ones of Mr.

Helicopter and boat crews are scouring the Port of Savannah in search of a crewmember who fell overboard from a containership in the Georgia seaport on Tuesday.The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Charleston were notified at approximately 3 a.m., Tuesday by Georgia Ports Authority that a 70-year-old man was missing from the Maersk Tukang.The crewmember did not resurface after falling into the water from a gangway while boarding the Singapore-flagged ship, a Coast Guard spokesperson told MarineLink.The Coast Guard said it has deployed a HH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Air Station Savannah and a 29-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Station Tybee Island to search for the missing man.Crews from Department of Natural Resources…

The U.S. Coast Guard said it medevaced a 41-year-old man from the Teal Arrow, a 544-foot cargo vessel, approximately 50 miles southeast of Charleston, S.C., Tuesday.An Air Facility Charleston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew hoisted and transported the man to the Charleston Executive Airport where emergency medical services took him to the Medical University of South Carolina for further medical care.At approximately 4:44 p.m. Monday, Coast Guard Sector Charleston command center…

In the southeast United States, the Port of Savannah, Georgia is now open with a 36-foot draft restriction and the Ports of Brunswick, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina remain closed to commercial operations following Hurricane Dorian.Assessment teams are conducting surveys of channel depth, verifications of aids to navigation and inspections of port facilities.“Maintaining safe and efficient operations on our region’s waterways is a top priority,” said Captain John Reed, Sector Charleston Commander.

Portline Bulk International S.A. pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston, South Carolina, to one count of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and one count of Obstruction. The charges stem from the falsification of the Oil Record Book onboard the M/V Achilleus, a Maltese-flagged ocean-going bulk carrier ship managed by Defendant Portline.From April 2017 to August 2018, senior members of the vessel’s engineering team oversaw and participated in the bypass of the ship’s Oil Water Separator utilizing a yellow plastic hose, referred to as a magic pipe. The ship’s Chief Engineer made a series of fake entries and key omissions in the Oil Record Book in order to conceal the illegal overboard discharges of oily bilge water. On Aug.

The Coast Guard medevaced an 80-year old woman Sunday 55-miles east of Savannah, Georgia.Coast Guard Sector Charleston Command Center watchstanders received a call at 9:15 p.m. from the cruise ship Carnival Ecstasy stating a passenger suffered a head injury after falling and was in need of medical attention.A Coast Guard Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crew launched to assist.The Dolphin crew rendezvoused with the vessel, hoisted the woman with a nurse and transported them to Memorial University Medical Center Savannah at 10:20 p.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is responding to a 30-foot barge which capsized near Surfside Beach, S.C., Wednesday.Coast Guard Sector Charleston is working closely with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the barge's owner to identify any potential environmental impacts.The cause of the incident is under investigation.

On Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a man suffering from stomach pains from a cruise ship 80 miles east of Charleston, S.C.The cruise ship Adventure of the Sea contacted Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders stating a passenger was in need of emergency care.An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Savannah launched and arrived at 7:30 p.m., hoisted the passenger and transported him to Medical University South Carolina for further care.

Four people and a dog were rescued from a sailboat approximately 290-miles off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, Wednesday. Members of Coast Guard Sector Charleston were notified by Boat U.S., that the 38-foot sailboat Luna C. suffered engine failure and damage to the sailboat’s mast, Wednesday. Watchstanders at Sector Charleston used the Coast Guard’s Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER), to contact the crew of the Jennifer Schepers, a 590-foot Liberian flagged container ship. The crew of the Jennifer Schepers diverted from their course to assist the four individuals and their dog and took them aboard. The four people and their dog rode aboard the Jennifer Schepers to the ship's next port of call in Wilmington, Delaware, where they safely disembarked earlier today.

The Coast Guard rescued three fishermen Tuesday after the fishing vessel they were on caught fire 1 mile east of St. Catherines Island, Georgia. Coast Guard Sector Charleston Command Center watchstanders received a call from a crew member aboard the fishing vessel Sea Puppy at 3:16 p.m. who stated their boat was on fire and taking on water. A Coast Guard Station Tybee Island 29-foot Response Boat - Small boat crew and an Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew launched at approximately 3:25 p.m. The Dolphin crew arrived on scene at 4:30 p.m., hoisted the fishermen and transported them to Air Station Savannah to awaiting EMS. No injuries were reported. Coast Guard pollution investigators arrived on scene, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Three fishermen were rescued Tuesday after their vessel caught fire 1 mile east of St. Catherines Island, Georgia. U.S. Coast Guard Sector Charleston command center watchstanders received a call from the fishing vessel at 3:16 p.m. stating their vessel was on fire and sinking. A Coast Guard Station Tybee Island 29-foot Response Boat - Small boatcrew and an Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew launched at approximately 3:25 p.m. The Dolphin crew arrived on scene at 4:30 p.m., hoisted the fishermen and transported to Air Station Savannah where EMS were waiting.

Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit (MSU) Savannah informs it has held a change of command ceremony to formally recognize transfer of command of the unit from Cmdr. Joseph Loring to Cmdr. Amy Beach. Cmdr. Loring served as commander of MSU Savannah for the past three years and is departing to continue his service at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Loring said Savannah has an excellent and strong maritime community and provides unparalleled military support, and the MSU does great work so it is hard for him to leave. “I’ve had a great tour,” he added. Cmdr. Amy Beach  who previously served as chief of the prevention department at Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound in New Haven…

A Filipino citizen and the captain of the tanker ship, T/V Green Sky, pleaded guilty today to one felony count in federal court in Charleston, South Carolina, for obstructing a U.S. Coast Guard investigation into pollution crimes aboard the vessel. Genaro Anciano, 52, who was the highest ranking officer aboard the ship, pleaded guilty to one count of Obstruction of an Agency Proceeding. The charge stems from a Coast Guard investigation in late August 2015 into the bypass of pollution prevention equipment, including the use of a “magic device,” on the Green Sky. In court papers, the defendant stated that members of the ship’s engine room, including a senior officer, admitted to illegally discharging overboard.

One person was killed and two people were injured when a boat ran aground on Shutes Folly off Charleston, South Carolina, late Thursday evening, the U.S. Coast Guard reported. One man was killed after being ejected from the vessel. Two female passengers were treated for injuries and were taken to the Medical University of South Carolina. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Charleston received the initial report of the incident from one of the injured passengers, stating their recreational boat had run aground with enough force to eject one person from the boat. A boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Charleston was launched aboard a 29-foot Response Boat — Small II to assist. The deceased was transported by a Mt. Pleasant Fire Department response boat.

Two fishermen were rescued from their sinking shrimp boat by a U.S. Coast Guard aircrew Friday off the coast of Saint Simons Island near Brunswic, Georgia. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Charleston received the initial report at approximately 9:30 a.m., on VHF channel 16 from one of the distressed fishermen, stating that their 55-foot shrimp boat was taking on water and was in danger of sinking. While the watchstanders made arrangements to launch a rescue crew from Coast Guard Air Station Savannah…