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Seventh Coast News

01 Jun 2023

U.S. Coast Guard Calls Off Search for 35-Year-Old Who Fell from Carnival Magic Cruise Ship

The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday suspended the search for a missing 35-year-old man who went overboard from a cruise ship 186 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida.Coast Guard crews searched more than 5,171 square miles and 60 hours. Missing is Ronnie Peale.Carnival Cruise Lines personnel contacted Coast Guard watchstanders at 6:36 p.m., Monday, reporting that a passenger fell off the cruise ship Carnival Magic and entered the water.Coast Guard watchstanders launched air crews and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba (WMEC 907) to conduct search and rescue efforts from the air and on the water. U.S. Navy ships and aircraft in the…

20 Feb 2023

US Coast Guard Cutter Commanding Officer Relieved Following Fatal Collision

USCGC Winslow Griesser (WPC 1116) (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

The commanding officer of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter has been relieved of duties following a fatal collision with a fishing vessel in August 2022.Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Williamsz, former commanding officer of the USCGC Winslow Griesser (WPC 1116), was relieved of duties due to a loss of confidence in his ability to effectively command the cutter, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Rear Adm. Brendan C. McPherson, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District, effected the relief on Friday.Williamsz…

30 Jan 2019

INSIGHTS: Admiral Karl Schultz, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard

Admiral Karl L. Schultz, the 26th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard.

Admiral Karl L. Schultz assumed the duties as the 26th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard on June 1, 2018. He previously served from August 2016 to May 2018 as Commander, Atlantic Area where he was the operational commander for all Coast Guard missions spanning five Coast Guard Districts and 40 states. Previous operational assignments include Sector Commander in Miami, Florida, as well as command tours aboard Cutters VENTUROUS, ACACIA and FARALLON. His senior staff assignments include Chief of the Office of Congressional and Governmental Affairs; Congressional Liaison to the U.S.

24 Sep 2018

Fouling Control on Workboats

(Biofouling photo - U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Christopher Frost/Released [A sailor scraping barnacles from the bottom of a rigid-hull inflatable boat aboard an aircraft carrier.])

As the domestic offshore energy industry stirs ever so lightly, the task of reactivating long-dormant vessels – some with extensive hull fouling – will become Job ONE. That’s easier said than done.Care and Preservation of Ship Hulls: Workboats vs. Deepwater VesselsNever before has there been such a wealth of data on the processes relating to the fouling of ship hulls. The formation of biofilms and subsequent micro- macro-and bio-fouling has been examined in minute detail and the…

04 Feb 2017

Seven Rescued near Great Inagua

Coast Guard rescued seven people Wednesday from a 180-foot motor vessel taking on water about 46 miles west of Great Inagua, Bahamas. At 5:20 a.m., Coast Guard Seventh District Command Center watch standers received an alert from a locating device from the motor vessel Trois Rivieres near Great Inagua. Watch standers diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Confidence crew and directed the launch of a forward deployed Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew. The rescue crew arrived on scene at 7:19 a.m. to lower the rescue swimmer with a dewatering pump and generator to help the Trois Rivieres crew. The pump wasn’t able to keep up with the water intake and the crew abandoned ship.

01 Jan 2017

Jet Skier Rescued Near Miami

The Coast Guard rescued a jet skier Friday 25 miles east of Miami. Watch standers with the Seventh Coast Guard District Command Center received a personal locating beacon (PLB) notification at 12:59 p.m. and directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Miami MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew. The rescue crew arrived on scene at 1:23 p.m., hoisted the jet skier and brought him to Jackson Memorial Hospital with no reported injuries and in stable condition. “Because this mariner had a PLB and activated it, our rescue crews were able to quickly and accurately locate and rescue him,” said Capt. Todd Coggeshall, Seventh Coast Guard District chief of incident management.

16 Nov 2016

Tribute to the Seventh Coast Guard District

The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that its annual Tribute to the Seventh Coast Guard District will be held at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Wednesday, November 16, 2016. At the event, the Foundation will recognize Coast Guard Sector San Juan with the Coast Guard Foundation Award and will also recognize Joseph E. Farrell, Jr., president and CEO of Resolve Marine Group, for his support of the Coast Guard Foundation. Vice Admiral Karl Schultz, Commander of the Atlantic Area will be the keynote speaker and Reggie Rivers will emcee the event.

31 Oct 2016

US Coast Guard Reports Record Year in Counterdrug Ops

Coast Guard offloads approximately 20 tons of cocaine (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sondra-Kay Kneen.)

The U.S. Coast Guard marked the end of a record year in counterdrug operations as the crew of Cutter Waesche from Alameda, California, offloaded more than 39,000 pounds of cocaine in San Diego Thursday, October 27. The Coast Guard and its interagency partners removed more than 416,600 pounds of cocaine worth over $5.6 billion in Fiscal Year 2016, which ran from Oct. 1, 2015, to Sept. 30, 2016. The service’s previous record was 367,700 pounds of cocaine removed in Fiscal Year 2008. “This impressive record not only reflects the extraordinary accomplishments of the men and women of the U.S.

22 Nov 2015

USCG Offload $ 17 Mln Cocaine

Coast Guardsmen on the Coast Guard Cutter Bernard C. Webber offloaded approximately 515 kilograms of cocaine interdicted in the Caribbean Sea as part of Operation Caribbean Venture worth an estimated wholesale value of $17 million at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, Florida, Friday. On November 15, a Joint Interagency Task Force South maritime patrol aircraft located a suspicious go-fast vessel with multiple packages aboard southeast of Isla Beata, Dominican Republic. The HNLMS Friesland, an offshore patrol vessel from the Royal Netherlands Navy, responded to the report and interdicted the vessel with four suspected smugglers and suspicious packages on deck. A U.S.

12 Sep 2014

USCG Repatriates Cuban Boat Migrants

The Cutter Dauntless smallboat crew inspects a rustic vessel used by 20 Cuban migrants south of Dry Tortugas, Florida, Sep. 6, 2014. The migrants were later repatriated by the crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Knight Island. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Knight Island repatriated 45 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Wednesday. These repatriations are a result of two separate interdictions of people attempting to illegally migrate to the United States through the Florida Straits. On Saturday, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless interdicted 25 migrants aboard an aluminum rustic vessel southwest of Key West, Florida. Later in the day, the Dauntless interdicted another 20 migrants south of Dry Tortugas, Florida.

30 Aug 2014

USCG Repatriates 86 Migrants

Coast Guard crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. and the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant repatriated 86 migrants illegally migrating from Cuba and Haiti. These repatriations are a result of five separate interdictions of people attempting to illegally migrate to the United States through the Florida Straits stemming back to Sunday. On Aug. 21, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter William Flores interdicted 24 Haitian migrants (12 males, nine females, three infants) north of Grand Bahamas Island, Bahamas. Sixteen of the migrants were reported to have jumped into the water but were subsequently rescued by the motor vessel Cap Guillame and the Coast Guard Cutter William Flores. All 24 migrants were safely transferred to the William Flores and were given a medical evaluation.

14 Mar 2014

Coast Guard's Eighth FRC Enters Service

The cutter’s command group, (left to right) Petty Officer 1st Class Nicole Thomas, first officer of the deck, Lt. j.g. Graham Sherman, executive officer, and Lt. Kevin Connell, commanding officer, were on hand to bring the ship to life. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Sabrina Laberdesque)

Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton was commissioned into service March 8 at Coast Guard Sector Key West, Fla. The Sexton is the second of six Fast Response Cutters to be homeported in Key West, and the eighth vessel to be delivered through the Coast Guard’s Sentinel-class FRC recapitalization project. The cutter is named after Machinery Technician 1st Class Charles W. Sexton, who drowned during a rescue operation conducted off the coast of Washington. On Jan. 11, 1991, Sexton was aboard a motor lifeboat dispatched to assist the 75-foot fishing vessel Sea King…

06 Sep 2013

RCI Appoint Retired USCG Admiral as Senior V-P Marine Operations

Rear Admiral William D. Baumgartner: Photo credit USCG

Cruise line, Royal Caribbean International (RCI) has appointed Rear Admiral William D. Baumgartner, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired, as the cruise line’s Senior Vice President of Marine Operations. In his new role, RADM Baumgartner will oversee the global cruise brand’s fleet and their nautical, technical and maintenance operations. “We take our work so seriously here, and there is such commitment throughout our entire organization to give our guests the safest, happiest and smoothest vacation experiences we can…

20 Aug 2013

Bollinger Delivers Seventh Coast Guard FRC

Charles David Jr. (Photo: Bollinger)

Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. has delivered the Charles David Jr., the seventh Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the United States Coast Guard. The announcement was made by Bollinger executive vice president of new construction, Chris Bollinger, “We are very pleased to announce another successful on-time and on-budget FRC delivery to the Coast Guard. The Charles David Jr. was delivered to the 7th Coast Guard District in Key West, Fla. and will be stationed at USCG Sector Key West. The 154-foot patrol craft Charles David Jr. is the seventh vessel in the Coast Guard's Sentinel-class FRC program.

22 Mar 2013

Tugboat Crew Recognized by USCG for Assisting Disabled Vessel

Photo: Crowley

The captain and crew aboard the tugboat Explorer, which is managed by Crowley Maritime Corp, were recognized by U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral William Baumgartner, who serves as commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District in Miami, for their humanitarian actions, unwavering determination, professionalism and skilled seamanship after they assisted a vessel that ran out of fuel 30 miles west of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands in December. The Jacksonville-based crew, which included Captain Andrew Smith; David W. Keefe, chief mate; Robert A.

17 Oct 2012

The Coast Guard Foundation Hosts 19th Annual Tribute

St. Petersburg Event To Honor New Coast Guard Cutter And The Memory of William Flores. The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today its 19th Annual Tribute to the United States Coast Guard’s Seventh District will take place on Friday, November 2, 2012. At this year’s event, the Foundation has partnered with the Commissioning Committee for the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter William Flores.

01 Nov 2010

CG Foundation 17th District Tribute

The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced that its 17th Annual Tribute to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Seventh District will take place on Monday, November 1, 2010. The event will honor the work of the men and women of the Coast Guard’s Seventh District who deployed to Haiti and aided in the relief efforts associated with the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the country in January of this year. In addition to honoring these individuals and celebrating the service of all our guardians who enforce maritime law…

02 Jul 2010

Stark to Head GICA

James Stark was named Executive Director of the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association (GICA), effective July 6, 2010. GICA’s mission is to ensure the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is maintained, operated and improved to provide the safest, most efficient, economical and environmentally-sound water transportation route in our nation. Stark most recently has been consulting on the response and recovery operations associated with the Deepwater Horizon Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He also served as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistant Administrator for Gulf Coast Recovery.

09 Jul 2002

USCG Proposes New Changes in Vessel Arrival/Departure Procedures

On June 19, 2002, the United States Coast Guard proposed permanent changes to its notification of arrival and departure information for all commercial vessels greater than 300 gt. (See, 67 Fed. Reg. 41659). The notice of proposed rulemaking is part of a greater port security scheme that seeks to ensure port safety, security without compromising the flow of commerce. The changes to the present Notice of Arrival (NOA) reporting regime are substantive and procedural. The changes affect the estimated 10,367 respondents (vessel owners, operators, masters, agents or others in charge of U.S.-bound vessels, herein "Submitters") that currently submit an approximate, 136,278 NOA and Notice of Departure (NOD) reports. • Submitting cargo manifest information electronically to U.S.

09 Jul 2004

Unauthorized entry into Cuban territorial waters

To clarify and expand upon the item in yesterday’s newsletter regarding entry into Cuban waters, the new U.S. Coast Guard regulation prohibits vessels of less than 100 meters in length that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction from traveling to and entering Cuban territorial waters unless such vessel shall first have obtained a written permit from the Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District. When requesting such permit, the applicant must show that it has a valid and applicable license issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce for export of the vessel to Cuba and a valid and applicable license issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury authorizing travel-related transactions in Cuba. Unauthorized departures may result in a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per day.

05 Mar 2004

First 123-ft Deepwater System Cutter Delivered

During a celebration to commemorate the delivery of the first Deepwater surface asset under the Integrated Deepwater System, the Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thomas H. Collins accepted delivery of the vessel and returned the CG Ensign to the USCG Cutter Matagorda today, Friday, March 5, 2004, at Bollinger Shipyards, in Lockport, La. The ceremony celebrated the delivery, which officially occurred on Monday, March 1, of the first newly completed 123-ft. patrol boat, USCGC Matagorda, manufactured by HBJV, a joint venture of Bollinger Shipyards LLC and VT Halter Marine, Inc of Gulfport, Miss.

15 Jan 2004

Fishermen Rescued After Boat Sinks

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Thetis rescued three shrimp fishermen this morning at about 8:00 from the fishing vessel Dona Nelly after being in the water for 45 minutes when their vessel sank 15 miles off the coast of Brownsville, Texas. The Thetis, a 270-foot cutter, was patrolling off the coast of Texas when it received word that a shipboard distress signal had been activated in the area. When crew of the Thetis arrived on scene, they found a debris field more than a mile in diameter filled with diesel fuel and the remnants of the fishing vessel. The three crewmembers were found huddled together, hanging onto the hatch of a fish hold. The three fishermen, aged 53, 23, and 20 were recovered with minor injuries and were treated for shock.

04 Aug 2008

Coast Guard to Investigate Vessel Fire

The Coast Guard initiated a formal investigation into the marine casualty aboard the motor vessel Miss Calabash II to determine what caused the fire and examine the Coast Guard's vessel inspection methods and procedures implemented for this vessel. The Miss Calabash II caught fire while at sea off the South Carolina coast last Wednesday, forcing the 23 passengers and three crewmembers to abandon ship. All 26 people were recovered from the water quickly and in good condition by two nearby good Samaritan vessels. Rear Adm. Steve Branham, Seventh Coast Guard District commander, ordered a District Formal Investigation because the casualty involved the loss of a Coast Guard inspected vessel, which is consistent with Coast Guard policy.