Are Tourist Boats Safe?

In 2010, two people drowned when a duck tour boat stalled and a river barged overran it. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the duck boat operator smelled smoke, and shut off the engine. The oncoming barge failed to receive any distress signal and the duck boat’s horn experienced a malfunction. Following the…

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How Did This Mississippi River Towboat Lose Control?

Late last year, a mariner who worked on a Mississippi River towboat lost his life when the boat capsized and sank during a spell of unusually high water and fast current near St. Louis. The Coast Guard was unable to recover the worker’s body for a month. The towboat was getting ready to move barges…

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Could 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…

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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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Can Moored Boats Injure People If They Break Free?

Can Moored Boats Injure People If They Break Free? Two people have been killed at Avalon Harbor in Los Angeles County, California. A late night storm caused boats to break free from their moorings. The two fatalities included a harbor patrol officer who was killed when he was pinned between a boat and a rock,…

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Can Life Jackets Save Lives?

Can Life Jackets Save Lives? It seems like a ridiculous question to ask, but according to Laurel Anders, Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, “Almost 80 percent of all boating fatalities happen to boaters not wearing a life jacket.” Why Don’t People Wear Life Jackets? Many people don’t wear life jackets because they…

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Men Perish on Boat Rare Suffering Damages

Men Perish on Boat; Rare Suffering Damages Awarded Such Cases Usually Focus on Economic Support By Tony Wright Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly April 5, 2004 Related Articles: March 11, 2004 November 2, 2002 January 10, 2002 January 3, 2002 August 4, 1999 (Families) August 4, 1999 (Raised) July 28, 1999 May 7, 1999 May 6, 1999…

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Victims’ Families Win Suit Against Cape Fear Owner

Victims’ families win suit against Cape Fear owner By Curt Brown and David Kibbe The Standard-Times March 11, 2004 Related Articles: November 2, 2002 January 10, 2002 January 3, 2002 August 4, 1999 (Families) August 4, 1999 (Raised) July 28, 1999 May 7, 1999 May 6, 1999 BOSTON – A U.S. District Court jury yesterday…

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