Rescue Over, Salvage to Begin
The U.S. Coast Guard has concluded its search for five crewmen missing since their offshore supply vessel sank near Pilottown, La., Saturday, and is, as of Tuesday, February 24, overseeing recovery and salvage operations to safely remove the vessel from the Southwest Pass. The Coast Guard called off its search and rescue efforts at about 5 p.m. after a final search of the area failed to locate any survivors. Coast Guard assets have been continuously involved in the search since they arrived at the scene of the accident at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, February 21. Also assisting in the search were personnel and resources from Plaquemines Parish, the New Orleans Port Authority, the La. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Navy.
America's Western River: A Unique Security Challenge
Since 9-11 all facets of the media have combined to focus national policy makers, in and out of government, along with the general public on the asymmetric terrorist threat facing the United States and its global trading partners. Lengthy newspaper articles or Op-ed pieces, documentaries on television such as The Learning Channel and the Discovery Channel, along with talk radio banter have spotlighted multiple areas of concern. These have included airplanes, tanker trucks, critical infrastructure and the country's bustling seaports such as New York and Los Angles. The maritime nexus in particular has received a lot of attention as over 90 percent of the nation's commerce travels by water.
Coast Guard Halts Carnival’s Holiday for Investigation
Coast Guard investigators, a law enforcement boarding team, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service are investigating the cruise ship, Holiday, after three separate breaches of security occurred Monday during the passenger embarkation process. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port New Orleans, Capt. Ron Branch, has ordered the Holiday to remain at the Julia Street Terminal until all passengers and luggage are screened again. Approximately 3 p.m. Monday, Coast Guard personnel aboard Holiday received a report from a passenger, also a policeman, that he left his handgun in his luggage. After locating and searching the luggage, the weapon, a .38-caliber handgun, was found and placed in a secure location. About an hour later, Holiday crewmembers discovered four bullets on a passageway floor.
