Crewmembers Rescued After Tugboat Capsizes

According to Professional Mariner, two men had to be rescued from a capsized tugboat in Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain last December. The news outlet reported that the U.S. Coast Guard in New Orleans identified the 48-foot vessel in distress as the M/V Bella. The operator of the tugboat, K&L Marine Service LLC, told the news outlet…

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20-Year-Old Dies in Towboat Accident

Tragically, last October, a 20-year-old crewmember aboard a towboat fell into the Mississippi River. His body was recovered about two weeks later on the Illinois side of the waterway. According to Professional Mariner, the victim fell from the Charlie G into the upper Mississippi River on October 8, near Missouri. He allegedly fell sometime after…

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Why Do Whale Watching Accidents Occur?

Sadly, last Wednesday, eight people were taken to a hospital after waves slammed into the side of a whale watching boat off the coast of Plymouth, Massachusetts. According to WCVB-TV, the boat encountered a rogue wave and ambulances were waiting for passengers when they returned to shore. There were 112 people aboard the Captain John…

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Avoid Memorial Day Drunk Boating

If you plan to enjoy recreational activities this Memorial Day weekend, make sure that you avoid reckless behavior such as drunk boating. Alcohol affects a person’s balance, judgment and reaction time—this is a dangerous mix when someone is operating a boat. Many fatal recreational boating accidents are the result of intoxicated operators—in fact, according to…

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Construction Equipment Tips Over on Maine Ferry

Last December, the ro-ro ferry Island Transporter reportedly battled through rough weather off the Maine coast as it was transporting construction equipment, including a cement and boom truck, which eventually overturned on the vessel. According to Professional Mariner, a boom truck on the ferry slid forward about 15 minutes into the voyage, eventually tipping over…

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Crewman Lost at Sea After Hull Accident

According to Professional Mariner, a crewmember painting the side of a bulk carrier fell into the Gulf of Mexico last December off the Texas coast and investigators were not able to locate his body. The news source reported that the accident alongside the CF Crystal, near the Texas coast, while the man was painting the…

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May 22 is National Maritime Day

National Maritime Day is May 22, aimed at recognizing the benefits of the maritime industry. The holiday is observed on the same date each year because it is the day that the steamship Savannah set sail from Georgia on the first ever transoceanic voyage under steam power in 1819. The US Congress officially created the…

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Cargo Ship Crashes as Master and Pilot Argue

In an unusual incident, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has determined that a disagreement between a master and pilot over speed led to a cargo ship striking a St. Lawrence Seaway lock in 2013. According to Professional Mariner, the dispute aboard the M/V Claude A. Desgagnes resulted in the boat not slowing down…

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Mass. Ferry Gets Stuck Twice at Sea in One Month Period

According to Professional Mariner, a high-speed catamaran ferry became stranded twice at sea last summer, with one incident requiring employees and passengers to stay on the vessel overnight. The news outlet reported that Boston Harbor Cruises operates the Cetacea, the vessel involved in the incidents, and that the U.S. Coast Guard is still investigating why…

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Alaska Longshoreman Dies in Equipment Accident

According to Alaska Dispatch News, a longshoreman working at the Port of Anchorage died in March after he was pinned between two pieces of equipment. The news source reported that the man was loading military equipment between rail cars on a Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE) ship when he got “pinched” on March 13. The…

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Will New Training Regulations Prevent Deaths and Injuries at Sea?

According to Professional Mariner, new regulations require that ships sailing internationally must provide crewmembers with enclosed space drills every two months. The news outlet reported that vessels operating under Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) must now participate in training programs about the dangers of enclosed spaces to prevent injury and death incidents. The International…

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Why Did a Cruise Ship Engine Room Catch on Fire?

Sadly, in December 2014, three workers died in an engine room fire aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean. According to Professional Mariner, the fire aboard the Insignia killed two contractors and a crewmember. The incident occurred while the ship was in port at St. Lucia, in the process of a 10-day cruise that began…

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Why Do Grounding Incidents Occur?

In previous blogs, we have discussed how grounding incidents occur far too frequently on cargo ships, passenger vessels, container ships, tankers and other varieties of vessels. Grounding incidents, which can involve a vessel’s hull scraping through land beds, occur for a number of reasons including negligence on behalf of an operator and/or employee aboard a…

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