Coast Guard: Hazardous Containers Off the San Francisco Coast
Professional Mariner reports that the U.S. Coast Guard is urging mariners to use caution around the San Francisco coast, as recovery teams are searching for missing containers from a cargo ship that may be hazardous.
According to the news outlet, the containers were lost from a ship in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, west of the Golden Gate Bridge, on December 11. As of last week, only two of the 12 containers lost at sea had been recovered.
The ship involved in the cargo incident was the Manoa, operated by Matson, which has deployed crews in an attempt to recover the containers. A diving service was able to recover foam insulation and other items that were washed up along the shoreline of Baker Beach.
Aside from the containers themselves, debris from the units could pose a danger to boaters and marine wildlife, including plastic trays and insulation. According to Professional Mariner, as of last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Response and Restoration was providing assistance in the cleanup effort through trajectory modeling.
The containers do not allegedly contain toxic chemicals. The cause of why the containers fell off the vessel remains under investigation.
What to Do Following a Maritime Accident
We hope that this incident does not lead to further accidents. Remember, operators have a duty make sure containers are stored safely and properly aboard ships.
If you are injured as a result of a maritime operator’s negligence, you should talk to an attorney about your legal rights. In the aftermath of a maritime accident, insurers or representatives for an operator may contact you directly in an attempt to limit compensation they may have to pay you.
Make sure you exhaust all of your legal options before agreeing to any offer following a maritime accident. In the video above, attorney Carolyn Latti discusses how maritime law differs from general personal injury law.