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Good Samaritan News

31 Jan 2024

Multiple Boats Catch Fire in Baltimore Marina

(Photo: Baltimore City Fire Department)

Emergency responders on Wednesday battled a blaze that engulfed multiple vessels in the Anchorage Marina, on the Patapsco River in Baltimore.A good Samaritan alerted U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region watchstanders to the fire at approximately 9 a.m. and reported that he heard a popping noise and saw two 55-foot boats engulfed in flames.Baltimore City Fire Department said its units arrived on location to find heavy fire and smoke conditions coming from multiple vessels docked at the marina.

04 Jan 2024

Collision Between Containership and Fishing Vessel Caused by Failure to Keep Watch

Tremont bow awash during the abandonment as seen from the Atlantis. (Source:
Lance Wills, courtesy NTSB)

A fishing vessel mate not maintaining a proper lookout and conducting maintenance on critical equipment while underway led to the collision of a containership and fishing vessel, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday. No injuries were reported. Damage to the vessels was estimated at $6.25 million.On October 28, 2022, while the containership MSC Rita was transiting southbound in the Atlantic Ocean, the fishing vessel Tremont was transiting north-northeast in the same area.

30 Aug 2023

Report: Submerged Rock Led to Fishing Vessel Grounding

Challenger courtesy of Alward Fisheries

A captain’s decision to navigate close to shore in an area with uncharted rocks led to the grounding and capsizing of a fishing vessel in Alaska last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.The Challenger struck a submerged rock while fishing for salmon along the shore of Kodiak Island, Alaska on August 7, 2022. The vessel began taking on more water than the onboard pumps could handle. The captain and three crewmembers abandoned ship and were rescued by a nearby Good Samaritan fishing vessel, and the vessel capsized soon after.

29 Jun 2023

Cracked Muffler Led to Towboat Fire -NTSB

The fire aboard the Mary Dupre minutes after crewmembers abandoned the vessel. (Source: U.S. Coast Guard)

Cracks in a muffler and the substantial use of combustible materials in accommodation spaces led to a fire aboard a towing vessel last year on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near Freeport, Texas, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.On June 25, 2022, the four-person crew aboard the towing vessel Mary Dupre departed Port Comfort, Texas, for Houston, pushing a single barge loaded with bio-diesel fuel. The following day, a fire broke out, leading to a total loss of the vessel, which was estimated at $1 million.

11 Jan 2023

'Inadequate Lookout' Led to Collision Between Tanker and Yacht in the Caribbean

Tropic Breeze sinking by its stern about 15 minutes after the collision. (Courtesy: NTSB)

Two crews not maintaining proper lookouts led to the collision between a yacht and a tank vessel near Nassau, Bahamas, the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday. The collision resulted in the sinking of the tank vessel and nearly $7.9 million in damages.The motor yacht Utopia IV and tank vessel Tropic Breeze were transiting the Northeast Providence Channel on Dec. 23, 2021, when the two vessels collided. The Tropic Breeze’s engine room flooded, and the vessel eventually sank. The vessel’s seven crewmembers abandoned ship and were rescued by a Good Samaritan vessel.

05 Jan 2023

Personal Locator Beacons Improve the Chance of Rescue at Sea

(File photo: Ocean Signal)

New Year’s Eve is a time of celebration and remembrance. Three years ago, on December 31, 2019, as the new year was being rung in across the lower 48 states, a tragedy was playing out in icy Alaskan waters. The fishing vessel Scandies Rose, with seven crew members aboard, encountered severe icing conditions and high winds and waves as it transited from Kodiak to fishing grounds in the Bering Sea. The crabber tried to make it to Sutwik Island to shelter from the storm; however…

15 Aug 2022

Sunken Fishing Vessel Spilling Oil Off San Juan Island

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A commercial fishing vessel that sank Saturday near San Juan Island, Wash. is spilling oil, the U.S. Coast Guard said.All five crewmembers from the sinking Aleutian Isle were rescued by a Good Samaritan, and no injuries have been reported.The 49-foot vessel sank with approximately 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel and a combined 100 gallons of hydraulic fluid and lubricant oil aboard, according to the Coast Guard. A sheen has been observed spanning more than two miles and was reported to have entered Canadian waters as the vessel continues to release small amounts of diesel.At approximately 2 p.m.

29 Jul 2022

100-year-old Ferry Sinks in Astoria, Ore.

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A 100-year-old, out-of-service passenger ferry Tourist No. 2 capsized in the Columbia River while moored near Astoria, Ore. on Thursday. There were no passengers on board.The U.S. Coast Guard said it is responding and that an investigation into the cause of the sinking is underway.A good Samaritan deployed a boom to contain an initial oil release and minimize potential impact to the environment, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Diolanda Caballero, 13th Coast Guard District External Affairs…

02 Jun 2022

Overpressurized Fuel System Led to Towboat Fire -NTSB

(Photo: American River Transportation Company​ / NTSB)

The engine room fire aboard a towing vessel was caused by overpressurization of the fuel day tank and a main engine fuel return system when a fatigued chief engineer inadvertently left the day tank overflow valves to the storage tanks closed, the National Transportation Safety Board said in Marine Investigation Report 22/17 released Wednesday.On May 18, 2021, the towing vessel Mary Lynn was pushing two barges near mile 176 on the Upper Mississippi River near St. Louis, Missouri when a fire broke out in the engine room. A Good Samaritan towing vessel and a St.

17 Apr 2022

Tugboat Taking On Water Near Freeport, Texas

Four crew members have been rescued from a tugboat taking on water in the Intracoastal Waterway near Freeport, Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watchstanders received a phone call at 6:02 a.m. on Sunday from the captain of the 52-foot tugboat Captain Mark stating the vessel was taking on water near the Brazos River Flood Gates while pushing two equipment barges. All four crewmen aboard the tugboat were wearing life jackets.The Coast Guard issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a 29-foot Response Boat–Small crew from Station Freeport to assist.The RB–S crew arrived on scene and transferred personnel to the tugboat with a dewatering pump.

08 Mar 2022

Uninsulated Exhaust Header Likely Ignited Towboat Fire -NTSB

(Photo courtesy of Western Rivers Boat Management Inc.​ / NTSB)

An engine room fire aboard a towing vessel was the result of spraying diesel fuel hitting an uninsulated section of the engine's exhaust system, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in a marine investigation report released Tuesday.On March 17, 2021, the towing vessel Miss Dorothy was pushing 14 barges upbound on the Lower Mississippi River, north of Baton Rouge, La., when a fire broke out in the engine room. The eight crewmembers aboard briefly attempted to fight the fire but were unsuccessful and evacuated to the barges. No pollution or injuries were reported.

06 Oct 2021

Pipeline from California Offshore Oil Spill was Moved 32 Meters Along Sea Floor

Crude oil is shown in the Pacific Ocean offshore of Orange County, Oct. 3, 2021.



A unified command has been established to respond to and clean up the oil spill off the California coast.

Official U.S. Coast Guard photo.

A section of the oil pipeline that burst off the Southern California coast was displaced 105 feet (32 meters) across the ocean floor, officials said on Tuesday, fueling speculation that a ship's anchor may have caused the environmental disaster.The revelation came as the U.S. Coast Guard and drilling company Amplify Energy Corp came under further scrutiny about the time it took to respond to the spill, amid reports that mariners first reported seeing oil in the water on Friday night…

12 Jul 2021

Seacor Power Bow Section Raised

The Seacor Eagle is staged with gear near the Seacor Power off Port Fourchon, La. The vessel is being used as stable platform to assist in salvage and pollution response operations. (Photo: Brendan Freeman / U.S. Coast Guard)

Salvors have raised the bow section of the liftboat Seacor Power, which overturned in heavy seas in the Gulf of Mexico in April.The Donjon-SMIT salvage team lifted the bow section to the surface of the water and transported it by barge on Saturday to the Modern American Recycling Services, Inc. (M.A.R.S.) facility in Houma, La.Meanwhile, salvage work continues at the wreck site, where crews recently conducted more acoustic surveys of the stern and accommodation sections. The updated surveys will be used to complete the rigging configuration to prepare the stern section for removal.

19 May 2021

Salvors Remove Diesel Fuel from Capsized Liftboat Seacor Power

Contacted salvage crews tap into an above water fuel tank and start removing the fuel from Seacor Power, May 3, off Port Fourchon, La. (Photo: Brendan Freeman / U.S. Coast Guard)

Salvage crews have removed all diesel fuel from the tanks of capsized liftboat Seacor Power in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday.Salvors removed approximately 20,363 gallons of diesel fuel from the overturned vessel using the hot tapping method, which involves drilling into the fuel tanks, making a hose connection, and transferring the fuel to portable tanks, the Coast Guard said.Approximately 4,500 gallons of hydraulic fluid still on board will need to be removed after the vessel is raised as the tanks are currently inaccessible…

18 May 2021

NTSB Issues Preliminary Report on Fatal Seacor Power Capsizing

Responders conduct salvage and pollution response operations in the wake of the fatal Seacor Power capsizing. (Photo: Brendan Freeman / U.S. Coast Guard)

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Tuesday published a preliminary report as part of its ongoing investigation into the fatal capsizing of the liftboat Seacor Power last month near Port Fourchon, La.There were 19 people on board when the U.S.-flagged Seacor Power overturned in extreme weather conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. Six people were rescued by the Coast Guard and Good Samaritan vessels, six people died in the accident and seven remain missing.According to the NTSB, the vessel departed Port Fourchon at about 1:30 p.m.

27 Apr 2021

Six Rescued, Dozen Missing After Lift Boat Capsizes in Gulf of Mexico

A Coast Guard Station Grand Isle 45-foot Respone Boat-Medium boatcrew heads toward a capsized 175-foot commerical lift boat April 13, 2021 searching for people in the water 8 miles south of Grand Isle, Louisiana. The Coast Guard and multiple good Samaritan vessels responded to the capsized vessel and searched for multiple missing people in the water. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Coast Guard Cutter Glenn Harris)

Six people were rescued near the coast of Louisiana after a commercial [lift boat] capsized about eight miles off Port Fourchon on the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said late Tuesday.About a dozen people are still missing after the 234-foot commercial lift vessel [reportedly Seacor Power] capsized in a storm, according to local media reports citing authorities. There was no immediate response from the coast guard to a Reuters request for comment on the number of missing people and potential casualties."We're still searching for more people…

12 Apr 2021

Boater Missing After Striking a Dredge on the Savannah River

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A multi-agency search was called off on Monday after responders failed to locate a man that went missing in the Savannah River after his vessel collided with a dredge on Saturday.A good Samaritan contacted U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders on VHF Ch. 16 stating three people were in the water in the vicinity of Hutchinson Island after a recreational vessel allided with dredging equipment on Saturday at approximately 5 p.m.Local partner agencies and good Samaritans arrived on scene and rescued two of the people in the water and brought them to awaiting emergency medical responders.

30 Dec 2020

71-year-old Tug Sinks off Puerto Rico

A raft adrift, December 24, 2020, south of Yabucoa Harbor, Puerto Rico. Sector San Juan watchstanders received a mayday call from the 112-foot tugboat Proassist III crew stating they were taking on water with three people aboard approximately two miles south of Yabucoa Harbor, P.R. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

Three people were rescued from a 71-year-old tugboat that sank south of Puerto Rico on Thursday.The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector San Juan fielded a mayday call from the crew of the 112-foot U.S.-flagged tug Proassist III, stating they were taking on water approximately two miles south of Yabucoa Harbor.A good Samaritan embarked the three people from the 1949-built tug and took them ashore with no reported injuries.On Friday, a Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen…

04 Nov 2020

Tug and Barge Collide with Pontoon Boat in North Carolina

A  45-foot response boat-medium (File photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A 94-foot tug and barge has collided with a pontoon boat near the Emerald Isle High-Rise Bridge on the Intracoastal Waterway in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, Tuesday.The U.S. Coast Guard said it issued an urgent marine information broadcast to mariners in the region, and dispatched a 24-foot Special Purpose Craft-Shallow Water response boat crew and a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew, after they were notified that two people aboard a pontoon boat entered the water in the…

04 Oct 2020

OSV Helps Put Out Boat Fire in Texas

Offshore supply vessel Erin T alongside a fire-stricken boat near the Houston Ship Channel entrance in Galveston, Texas (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

An offshore supply vessel assisted the U.S. Coast Guard in responding to a boat fire Saturday near the Houston Ship Channel entrance in Galveston, Texas.Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watchstanders were notified at 8:37 a.m. by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Daniel Tarr stating they were responding to a blaze aboard a 25-foot pleasure craft with three people aboard.The Daniel Tarr crew arrived on scene and began extinguishing the fire alongside the Erin T, a 33-meter U.S.-flagged offshore supply vessel.

08 Sep 2020

Crane Barge Fire Extinguished in Florida

A West Manatee County Fire Department marine unit crew extinguish the fire on a commercial barge after a good Samaritan reported the incident. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

Emergency responders extinguished a fire aboard a commercial crane barge near Egmont Key, Fla. Sunday.The U.S. Coast Guard, West Manatee County Fire Department, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and commercial salvage crew responded after Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders were made aware of the blaze by a good Samaritan via VHF-FM Channel 16.The Coast Guard directed the launch of Coast Guard Station Cortez and Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg 45-foot Response Boat—Medium boat crews to create a safety zone around the burning vessel…

24 Jun 2020

Tanker Crewman Missing After Falling Overboard Off US East Coast

File photo: An HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City in Elizabeth City flies overhead (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Brandyn Hill)

A search is underway to locate a crewmember who reportedly fell overboard from a Malta-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier 400 miles off Cape Hatteras, N.C.The U.S. Coast Guard said watchstanders received a report that a man overboard had been reported aboard the 225-meter-long Hellas Gladiator.An Air Station Elizabeth City HC-130 Hercules aircraft was launched to search for the missing crewmember, along with two good Samaritan vessels which were notified via Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) messages.The 84…

25 May 2020

Fishermen Rescued After Two Weeks Adrift at Sea

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew hoist two fishermen from the water 23 miles northeast of Cat Island, Bahamas, May 18, 2020. The fisherman were reportedly adrift for two weeks. (Photo: USCG)

Two fisherman reportedly adrift for two weeks and presumed lost at sea were rescued with help from a good Samaritan towboat crew and the U.S. Coast Guard.Domingo Jimenez, 45, and Ramon Castillo, 29, both from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, departed Samana, Dominican Republic on May 2. On May 5, USCG Sector San Juan watchstanders received a report from a concerned family member stating Jimenez and Castillo were overdue after heading out in their 25-foot vessel to fish approximately 132 miles northeast of Samana.The U.S.

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