Casualties

By Richard Knee

May
5/3/09 The Bahamian MV UAL Nigeria en route from Houston and Vera Cruz to Africa with oil filed equipment, general cargo and containers, experienced tail shaft problems off Barbados. SMIT Salvage was contracted under Lloyds Open Form to assist. The anchor handling tug HOS Navegante sailed from Trinidad and towed the freighter to anchorage south of the island Gaspar Grande, for a dive survey. After inspection, the ship was towed to Trinidad arriving May 12. On May 20 after the cargo was discharged, the ship was towed a berth at Chaguaramas, Trinidad for re-delivery to the owners and to await repairs. (SMITT/Cargolaw)

5/16/09 A crewman aboard the MV Butterfly was injured in a fall in a ballast tank while the ship was 860 miles northeast of Bermuda. The Bermuda RCC contacted Norfolk RCC for assistance. The ship was directed to sail toward Bermuda. A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter was dispatched from Elizabeth City, N.C. The next day, when the ship was 230 miles northeast miles of Bermuda, the man was medevaced and taken to Bermuda International Airport, then transferred to a local hospital.

5/24/09 An 18-year-old male cruise ship passenger was reported missing overboard off the 855-foot Panamanian cruise ship Carnival Fantasy at about 9:45 p.m., 150 miles southwest of Tampa. An extensive two-day Coast Guard air and sea search involving cutters and five aircraft failed to find any trace. .

5/27/09 At about 5:20 a.m., 6 men and six women, all Mexican nationals, were arrested by San Diego Sheriff’s deputies and U.S. Border Patrol agents near Swami’s Beach, Encinitas, Calif. after they were observed being smuggled ashore off of a boat. A Coast Guard and CBP search located an unnamed 30-foot Panga boat used in the smuggling heading south and it was stopped by CBP Marine Interdiction agents about five miles west of Point Loma. Two male Mexican nationals aboard the boat were arrested.

5/28/09 The captain and a crewman on the 80-foot offshore supply boat Capt. Rayne suffered burns in an explosion on board about 15 miles south of Atchafalaya Bay, La. The offshore oilrig Eugene Island reported the blast to the Coast Guard. The men were evacuated by helicopter and hospitalized in Baton Rouge.

5/29/09 While departing Vanterm Berth 5 in Vancouver, B.C., a container aboard the 855-foot Singapore container ship Kota Lambang lambanged a railing and flared bow of the COSCO Tainjin alongside Berth 6.

5/30/09 The engineer on the U.S. tug Pacific Pride was medevaced in Vancouver B.C. after suffering a suspected stroke.

June
6/1/09 Two crewmen fell overboard off the 108-foot FV Helgie Hovland in Brenton Sound, approximately 45 miles southeast of New Orleans. The crew recovered one immediately. Unfortunately, the other, Willie Boggs, 26, of Wiggins, Miss. was not found. The Coast Guard suspended the search on June 3.

6/1/09 A crewmember on the 40-foot Canadian Coast Guard fisheries vessel Manyberries had a finger amputated while hauling gear off Parksville, B.C.

6/2/09 At approximately 3 A.M. the charter FV Mirage with 25 passengers collided with an unnamed workboat that was unlit and adrift in Beechers Bay at Santa Rosa Island, Calif. The Mirage was holed near the bow 2.5 feet above the water line. Temporary repairs were made and the vessel was escorted back to its homeport in Ventura by a 47-foot Coast Guard lifeboat.

6/3/09 The 357-foot Irish tanker Asphalt Seminole spilled about 670 gallons of asphalt into the river while they were transferring product to the Sprague Energy terminal on the Fore River in South Portland, Maine. The Coast Guard advised that once in contact with the cold water, the hot asphalt solidified and formed a pancake-like material within the containment boom that was already in place around the vessel and pier.

6/4/09 The 40-foot Canadian FV Harvest Girl was found aground on the beach three miles from Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island, B.C., with its engine running. The body of the operator, 37-year-old Robin Bemi, who was believed to have fallen overboard, was recovered from the water just over a mile away.

6/8/09 The 600-foot Liberian product tanker NS Stella ran aground on the soft bottom of the Delaware River near Salem N.J. at 6:45 AM. The vessel was freed undamaged five hours later on the rising tide with the aid of a single tug.

6/8/09 The FV C’est La Vie advised the Coast Guard the 36-foot FV Allman Joy from Port Angeles was hard aground and the captain unresponsive at 7:51 a.m. in Chatham Strait 67 miles south of Sitka, Alaska. A Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter arrived on scene at 9:16 a.m. The captain was pronounced deceased, taken aboard the helicopter, and transported to Sitka. A salvage company in Juneau has been hired to remove fuel and oil from the Allman Joy. The Deckboss blog reports the deceased was Frederick Washburn, 72, of Sequim, Wash. and that state troopers believe he died of natural causes.The Coast Guard and Alaska state troopers are conducting an investigation.

In This Issue

Up Front

News, Trends & Analysis
New Items

The Growth Paradox

Supply Chain
Industries to watch

Trade compliance in the workplace

Logistics costs dropped in 2008

Overseas trade experts have some tips for you

Five things you should know about U.S. trade policy

Supply Chain product review
Inventory container management

Features
Gateway at a glance U.S. Northeast

Bulk Up

Ports & infrastructure
Port of Seattle nets new container business

Clean trucks at your ports: How to pay for them?

Port Product Review
Project cargo equipment

Commentary
Are we thinking inside or outside the box?

On the horizon: Wave Energy - A future power source for your port

Casualties