Coast Guard Responds to Mobile, AL Barge Explosion
The Coast Guard is responding to a report of a barge explosion on the ship channel in Mobile Bay Wednesday. Coast Guard Sector Mobile watchstanders received the initial notification at 8:40 p.m. reporting the barge explosion between the George Wallace Tunnel and the Bankhead Tunnel in Mobile Bay. A second explosion was reported at 9:10 p.m. Three burn-related injuries have been reported and their current conditions are unknown. The Coast Guard Cutter Stingray, Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island, Ala., 25-foot and 45-foot response boat crews, and additional federal, state and local agencies have responded to the incident. The barge was an empty compressed natural gas barge that was at the dock for cleaning.A one nautical mile safety zone has been established around the barge.
Coast Guard Completes Escort of Carnival Triumph
The Coast Guard escorted the disabled Carnival Triumph to the Alabama Cruise Ship Terminal in Mobile Thursday evening. The tug vessel Roland Falgout and four assist tugs towed the Triumph to the Alabama Cruise Terminal following more than a 100-hour voyage from Cozumel, Mexico to Mobile. Resources used to assist the Triumph: The 210-foot Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous and crew, homeported in Cape May, N.J.; Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile MH-60T crew; The 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Stingray crew; Three Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island 45-foot Response Boat — Medium crews; One Coast Guard Station Pascagoula boatcrew; Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team. The Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous arrived on scene Sunday night and safely medevaced one passenger to the Carnival Legend.
Fisherman Fined for Violating Magnuson
A Florida fisherman was fined by an administrative law judge Tuesday, for illegal fishing within a secured area 120 miles south of Panama City, Fla. The violation occurred Dec. 17, 2002, when the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Stingray, homeported in Mobile, Ala., stopped and boarded the fishing vessel, The Shadow, for allegedly illegally fishing within the Madison-Swanson closed area. Jerry Eugene Key, operator of The Shadow, set approximately 2.5 miles of longline gear to harvest reef fish within the closed area. Any person found fishing for any species of fish in this area, other than highly migratory species, is in violation of the Reef Fish Management Plan…
