Archive for June 2015
Seventeen People Injured in NY Cruise Ship Accident
According to CNN, a cruise ship struck a wall in the Eisenhower Lock in New York on June 18, injuring 17 passengers. The news outlet reported that several passengers had to be sent to an area hospital for treatment following the accident. There were 274 people on the Saint Laurent, a 286-foot vessel, when the…
Read MoreMan Arrested for NJ Hit-and-Run Boating Accident
According to reports, New Jersey police have arrested a 21-year-old man following a hit-and-run boating accident in Sparta that injured five people. The New Jersey Herald reported that the accident occurred on Lake Mohawk on June 14. A recreational boat being driven by the suspect reportedly crashed into a pontoon boat, sending several people to…
Read MoreIs Stress Management Important in the Maritime Industry?
People who work in the maritime industry face challenges that can place high stress levels on them. Whether it is rough seas, little time with family or jobs with heavy physical demands, stress management is becoming more important. With this in mind, recently a column in Professional Mariner by Capt. Kelly Sweeney discussed this issue.…
Read MoreConn. Governor Signs Towing Bill into Law
On June 4, Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy signed “Emily’s Law”, which establishes a towing age for people behind recreational boats. According to WTIC-TV, the law requires boaters to complete a safe towing class before earning a boating certificate. The law was named after Emily Fedorko, 16, who died last summer in a Greenwich boating accident.…
Read MoreAre OUIs Common in Massachusetts?
As we reported in our blog earlier this month, alcohol use is a factor in almost a third of all recreational boating fatalities in our country. Sadly, an investigation by the Boston Herald indicates that state officials may not be targeting drunken boaters enough. According to the news outlet, Massachusetts Environmental Police have made only…
Read MoreWhat Caused a Houston Ship Channel Collision?
According to Professional Mariner, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has completed its investigation into a Houston Ship Channel collision that resulted in a natural disaster. According to the report, on March 22, the 607-foot-long bulk carrier Summer Wind collided with the 670-foot-long Miss Susan tow, which was towing another vessel and two 300-foot-long tank…
Read MoreThree Injured By Chemical Drums, Rough Seas
Sadly, three vessel crewmembers suffered chemical burns in a February incident while cleaning drums during poor weather off the coast of Oregon. According to Professional Mariner, the incident occurred when the workers of the Almasi were cleaning cargo holds aboard the Cyprus-flagged ship. The news outlet reported that two mariners suffered severe chemical burns, while…
Read MoreCaptain Killed After Tug Sinks Near Long Island
Tragically, on March 14, the captain of a tugboat died following a sinking incident in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Long Island. According to Professional Mariner, the incident, which remains under investigation, also involved three crewmembers who managed to put on survival suits while abandoning the Sea Bear as it began to take…
Read MoreCould Technology Improvements Help Man-Overboard Retrievals?
Professional Mariner had an interesting story recently about how technology advancements may be helping rescue workers in man-overboard (MOB) situations when people are lost at sea. The news outlet reported that it was not that long ago that people lost at sea had to rely on luck to be rescued; however, now people who fall…
Read MoreWho is Responsible When Boats Collide?
Seventeen nautical miles off the Shinnecock Inlet, a commercial fishing boat and a sport fishing boat collided. The commercial vessel, the Elizabeth J, was fishing for scallops when the crew saw an approaching vessel appear on radar. The oncoming sport fisher, the Nina Marie, was moving at a speed of about 20 knots in fog…
Read MoreTwelve People Injured in a Boat Crash
A group of 11 young people and the boat operator were on the waters of Cheat Lake at around 8:55 pm on Monday, May 25th. They suddenly ran up on an embankment on the eastern shore, but no one knows why the boat crashed. “It was like hitting a brick wall,” said the victims of…
Read MoreBoston Lawyer Charged With Drunk Boating
Sadly, a Boston attorney was recently charged with operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol following a boating accident that resulted in a young woman losing her arm. According to Boston.com, Benjamin Urbelis, 33, has been charged with “operating a boat while under the influence causing serious bodily injury, negligent operation of a boat…
Read MoreBulker Secured After Causing Millions in Damages
On April 6th, A Greek bulker owned by the Bariba Group broke free from its moorings and drifted uncontrolled across the Mississippi River. The Privocean, an 81,434 dwt bulker, destroyed parts of the dock it was moored at, spilled about 10 barrels of oil into the river, and crushed a tug boat against a tanker.…
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