Updating a blog post we brought you last week, the U.S. Coast Guard is using the brutal winter weather as a training opportunity for guardsmen in the north.

According to WSTM-TV, over the past couple of weeks, guardsmen working out of the Oswego Coast Guard station in New York have been training in ice and extreme weather conditions.

“There’s not a lot of agencies that are going to go out there and do what we do. So in the wintertime, we’re always going to be the go to for rescues out on the ice,” said Machinery Technician 2nd Class Trevor Shiel, according to WSTM. Guardsmen train by having men and women play victims, pulling them from ice and water.

In addition to the training at the Oswego Coast Guard station, ABC News reported recently that the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Katmai Bay, stationed in Michigan, has been working overtime recently to keep shipping channels open along the Straits of Mackinaw.

It is good that the Coast Guard is prepared for the harsh weather. The brutal winter conditions seem to be causing havoc for commercial vessels. On February 23, two Coast Guard cutters had to rescue a commercial vessel and tugboat off a barge in the Hudson River that were stuck in ice. The tug, Maryland, was reportedly on its way to Newburgh with a barge carrying 27,000 barrels of home heating oil.

According to LoHud.com, the Coast Guard called this winter “the worst in a decade for ice on the Hudson.”

Speaking to an Attorney About a Maritime Incident or Accident

As we reported last week, crewmembers on commercial vessels are especially vulnerable during severe weather conditions. Brutal weather elements can last for long periods, while crewmembers may have to wait for a rescue. The waiting periods could potentially lead to unsafe conditions, leading to injuries.

If you are injured in boating incident involving severe winter weather, it might be a good idea to speak to an experienced attorney. Remember, when negligence contributes to a maritime accident, due to bad weather, victims may be entitled to compensation.

Latti & Anderson LLP – Nationwide Maritime Attorneys

Source: http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/2015/02/19/coast-guard-rescues-tug-stuck-ice-hudson/23666279/