Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Dauphin Island News

11 Nov 2022

Oil Rig Worker Medevaced in the Gulf of Mexico

File photo: Patrick D. Kelley / U.S. Coast Guard

An ailing worker was medevaced from a Gulf of Mexico oil rig, about 14 miles south of Dauphin Island, Ala., the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Mobile received a call at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday from an oil rig requesting a medevac for a 58-year-old male who was suffering from chest pain.The watchstanders coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew to assist.The boatcrew crew arrived on…

11 Apr 2022

Tanker Crewmember Medevaced in US Gulf

An ailing crewmember was medevaced from a U.S.-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday.Coast Guard Sector Mobile Command Center received a call from the Overseas Cascade at 4 p.m. Sunday reporting a medical emergency with a crewmember on board approximately 5 miles South of Fort Morgan, Ala.Watchstanders coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island 45-foot Response Boat - Medium boatcrew, which arrived on scene and transferred the 27-year-old mariner to awaiting emergency medical services personnel at Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island.The crewmember was last reported to be in stable condition.

11 Oct 2021

Silver Ships, Auburn University to Develop Oyster Harvesting Boat Designs

(Photo: Silver Ships)

Boat builder Silver Ships is partnering with Auburn University’s Industrial Design program and the Auburn University Shellfish Laboratory (AUSL) to create concepts for an oyster farming boat design.Beginning this fall, Silver Ships, AUSL and students within Auburn’s industrial design program will focus on designing several concepts for a new boat to support oyster farming operations. The class offers third-year students the opportunity to engage in their first substantial design…

23 Jan 2020

Bulk Carrier Crew Member Missing Near Alabama

U.S. Coast Guard air and boat crews are searching for one person who went missing aboard the bulk carrier Star Aquila, Thursday, approximately 12 nautical miles south of Dauphin Island, Ala.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Mobile received a report at 4:07 a.m. that a crew member was missing. The 41 year old male was last seen on board the Marshall Islands-flagged vesseo on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.Crew members conducted a search of the vessel with negative results.Star Aquila has been at anchor for eight days and will transit into Mobile, Ala. on Thursday.

16 Jan 2020

Three Rescued from Burning Fishing Vessel

A 36-foot fishing vessel ablaze near Dauphin Island, Ala. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Three people were rescued from the water after their fishing vessel caught fire near Dauphin Island, Ala., on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Coast Guard watchstanders in Mobile were alerted at 5:55 p.m. of three people aboard a 36-foot sport fisher Beach S that caught fire in Dauphin Island Bay, approximately a half a mile north of Dauphin Island.The Coast Guard directed the launch of a 29-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island to assist the people.The boatcrew arrived on scene at 6:35 p.m.…

03 Jul 2019

Maritime Simulation & Training: a partnership that pays off

Delgado Maritime & Industrial Training Center and Florida Marine Transport collaborate closely to ensure that all FMT wheelhouse personnel are ready for every eventuality ahead.

It is truly no accident that Delgado Maritime & Industrial Training Center and Florida Marine Transport collaborate so closely.Zero incidents, zero injuries and eliminating critical barge and equipment failures doesn’t just happen by osmosis. It’s a result of continual safety training that breeds operational awareness and confidence to anticipate a difficult situation on an inland waterway before it actually occurs.With a high school education, Capt. Shelden Detrafford started out making $25/day in the 1960s.

04 Sep 2018

Storm Gordon Starts Kicking Up Waves on U.S. Gulf Coast

Photo: NOAA

Waves began to batter parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast on Tuesday as the region felt the first hit of Tropical Storm Gordon, which is expected to become a hurricane before it comes ashore with high winds and heavy rain, forecasters said.The storm also caused a jump in global oil prices after the evacuation of two oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.Gordon was due to come ashore late on Tuesday near the border between Louisiana and Mississippi, and drop as much as 12 inches (30 cm) of rain in areas still recovering from last year's hurricanes…

14 May 2018

Ailing Tanker Crewmember Medevaced

The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a 59-year-old crew member from an asphalt/bitumen tanker near Dauphin Island, Ala., Sunday.Coast Guard watchstanders in Mobile, Ala. received a notification at 10:38 p.m. Sunday from the master of the motor vessel Marshall Islands flagged Asphalt Sailor about a Russian crewmember who was reported to be experiencing symptoms of heart arrhythmia.The Coast Guard launched a Response Boat-Medium boatcrew from Station Dauphin Island to medevac the ailing crewmember.The boatcrew embarked the patient and transferred him in good condition to emergency services waiting at Station Dauphin Island.

07 May 2018

Barges Catch Fire in Alabama

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is working with local agencies to respond to a barge fire on the Mobile River near Mobile, Ala.Coast Guard Sector Mobile received a report from Mobile County Fire Department that a barge carrying scrap metal caught fire at mile marker three on the Mobile River at approximately 10 a.m. on Sunday.According to Mobile Fire-Rescue, two linked barges carrying demolished/crushed cars are ablaze.No crewmembers were reported to be aboard the barges when they went up in flames, and there have been no reports of injuries or pollution.The barges are aground on the riverbank.Mobile County Fire Department is on scene conducting…

03 May 2018

Coast Guard Vessel Capsizes in Mobile Bay

The U.S. Coast Guard said one of its vessels has capsized in Mobile Bay near Gaillard Island, Ala., Thursday. All four crew members aboard at the time of the incident have been rescued.The stricken vessel, a 26-foot Trailerable Aids to Navigation Boat from Coast Guard Sector Mobile, capsized while transiting in Mobile Bay to conduct aids to navigation operations at approximately 10:45 a.m.A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew from Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island arrived on scene at 11:44 a.m. to recover the four crew members who were all wearing lifejackets and had climbed on top of the capsized vessel’s hull. The four crew were transferred to EMS and then Coast Guard Sector Mobile.The cause of the incident is under investigation.

12 Apr 2016

DSD Shipping Fined $2.5m Over Oil Dumping

Norwegian shipping company DSD Shipping has been fined $2.5m in a US federal court for oil dumping from an aframax. DSD has been sentenced of its convictions in Mobile, Alabama, for obstructing justice, violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), tampering with witnesses and conspiring to commit these offenses. Three crew from the 104,000-dwt Stavanger Blossom (built 2007) were also convicted and sentenced to up to six months in jail. $500,000 of the $2.5 million fine is said to have been ordered to be paid to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation to support marine research and coastal habitat protection in the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay.

11 Apr 2016

DSD to Pay $2.5 Mln for Illegal Oil Discharging

The Norwegian shipping company DSD Shipping (DSD) was sentenced to pay a total corporate penalty of $2.5 million as a result of its convictions in Mobile, Alabama, for obstructing justice, violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS), tampering with witnesses and conspiring to commit these offenses. The company was ordered to pay $500,000 of the penalty to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation to fund marine research and enhance coastal habitats in the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay. In addition, DSD was placed on a three year term of probation and was ordered to implement an environmental compliance plan to ensure the company’s vessels obeyed domestic and international environmental regulations in the future. The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General John C.

31 Jan 2016

Coast Guard Rescues 9 in Gulf of Mexico

The Coast Guard rescued nine people over the course of two separate incidents in the Gulf of Mexico, Saturday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Mobile were notified that a 36-foot recreational fishing vessel with five people aboard was taking on water 47 miles south of Dauphin Island at 12:08 p.m. The watchstanders directed the launch of a Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island 45-foot Response Boat –Medium and crew and an Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed wing aircraft crew to assist. The boatcrew arrived on scene and transferred a dewatering pump to the fishing vessel to assist the crew with dewatering. During the escort of the fishing vessel into Orange Beach…

27 Apr 2015

USCG Searching for Missing Boaters in Mobile Bay Area

The Coast Guard continues to search for at least five people in the Mobile Bay area Sunday. Rescuers searched throughout the night for the missing boaters and have covered a total of 1,773 square miles as of 11:00 a.m., Sunday. More than 40 people have been rescued by a combined effort of multiple agencies and good Samaritans. One boater was rescued by a Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island rescue crew at approximately 9 p.m. Saturday. A strong line of thunderstorms pushed eastward across the Mobile Bay area Saturday at approximately 3:30 p.m., resulting in winds in excess of 70 miles per hour. Mariners in the area were caught off guard, including a regatta sailing event in the Dauphin Island area.

14 Oct 2014

Two Workboats Sinking Near Mobile Ship Channel

The U.S. Coast Guard said it is responding to two sunken vessels in Mobile Ship Channel north of Gaillard Island, Tuesday. Coast Guard Sector Mobile watchstanders received a call from the crew of the towing vessel, Miss Sammy Lee, reporting the sinking of two vessels, the 52-foot towing vessel Delta Amber, and the 26-foot dredging vessel Nicholas. The Miss Sammy Lee crew rescued the crews from both vessels Monday evening around 10:46 p.m. A Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island small boat crew safely transferred the crewmembers of both sunken vessels from the Miss Sammy Lee to the Dog River Marina. There were no reported injuries. Response crews report a 50 yard by one mile sheen in the area of the incident.

04 Feb 2014

Coast Guard Foundation Plans Community Center

Coast Guard Reservists from Sector Saulte Ste. Marie. Photo credit: US Coast Guard District

The Coast Guard Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to the education and welfare of Coast Guard members and their families, has announced  its plans to build a community center in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. A top priority for the Coast Guard Foundation, the Sault Ste. Marie Community Center will give Coast Guard members and their families in the area an all-inclusive indoor recreation facility that will serve as a safe place for families to enjoy themselves and build a community during the long Michigan Upper Peninsula winters.

06 Sep 2013

NOAA Awards $967,000 to 11 Marine Debris Removal Projects

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources will continue organizing cleanups to remove debris from beaches in Kaho'olawe.

NOAA’s Marine Debris Program provided $967,000 through its Restoration Center to support locally driven, community-based marine debris prevention and removal projects. Eleven groups across the country received funding to remove derelict fishing nets, litter, lumber, tires and other harmful marine debris from shorelines and coastal waters. “Marine debris plagues coastlines all over the country, and these communities have the expertise and motivation to address it,” said Nancy Wallace, Marine Debris Program director.

25 Apr 2013

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.

15 Feb 2013

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.

14 Feb 2013

Coast Guard Medevacs One, Continues 'Carnival Triumph' Escort

Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team: Photo credit USCG

The Coast Guard took off a female passenger from the disabled ship in the Gulf of Mexico under tow to Mobile. A Coast Guard 45-foot Response Boat — Medium crew medevaced a female passenger who reportedly suffered a stroke and transported her to Dauphin Island to meet emergency medical services. The tug vessel Resolve Pioneer reported a broken tow line which was restored by the tug Roland Falgout. Meanwhile Coast Guard boarding teams assisted CBP agents with passport verification and disembarkation processing with the ship some six miles south of the entrance to Mobile Bay.

30 Apr 2012

Invasive Species: Asian Tiger Shrimp Causing Concerns

Credit: Bakenhaster at FWC.

Rise in Asian Tiger Shrimp sightings prompts scientific look at invasion concerns. The recent rise in sightings of non-native Asian tiger shrimp off the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts has government scientists working to determine the cause of the increase and the possible consequences for native fish and seafood in those waters. Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are working with state agencies from North Carolina to Texas to look into how this transplanted species from Indo-Pacific, Asian and Australian waters reached U.S.

16 Jun 2011

BOEMRE Awards $1.8M in Grants to Alabama

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) has awarded more than $1.8 million in Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) grants to the state of Alabama and to Mobile County, Ala. The grants will fund ongoing wetlands preservation, facility upgrades, and outreach initiatives for the state’s coastal areas. Created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, CIAP provides funding to the six Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas producing states to conserve and protect the coastal environment. CIAP is an ongoing program with grant funding that is allocated based on the offshore energy revenues collected by the United States.

10 Dec 2010

This Day in U.S. Coast Guard History – December 10

1905-"To evaluate its use in lighthouse work, radio equipment was installed experimentally on Nantucket Lightship in August of 1901. On December 10, 1905, while riding out a severe gale, Lightship No. 58 on the Nantucket Shoals Station sprang a serious leak. There being no recognized radio distress signal at that time, the operator could only repeatedly spell out the word "help". Although no reply was received Newport Navy station (radio) intercepted the call and passed it on to the proper authorities. The lightship tender Azalea was dispatched to the assistance of Lightship No. 58, and upon arrival at the scene passed a towline. The long tow to a safe harbor began, but after a few hours it was quite evident that Lightship No. 58 was sinking.