tugboat operator’
Coast Guard, NTSB Continue Hearings into Port Arthur Tanker Collision
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
The National Transportation Safety Board and the US Coast Guard are continuing hearings into the tanker-tugboat accident off Port Arthur that resulted in a massive oil-h in January this year.
Just into the second day of the hearing and we are already getting some clues into the causes of the accident. The hearings included testimony by both the captain of the tanker as well as the tugboat. According to the tanker captain, he was unable to bring the tanker under control because of strong winds and high tides. Despite his best efforts, Capt. Charles Bancroft could not get the tanker...
Crewmembers Escape Injuries in Tugboat Accident in Atchafalaya River, Louisiana
Saturday, February 20th, 2010
The Coast Guard is continuing its search for a tugboat that apparently sank in the Atchafalaya River in Louisiana. Two workers escaped injuries in the accident.
The 52-foot tugboat was pushing a crane barge on the river when it struck a railroad bridge near Krotz Springs. Apparently, the bridge had been opened to allow the barge to pass through, but the tall crane hit the bridge anyway. The rear of the tugboat sank into the water. The captain of the barge swam to shore, while the deckhand stayed back on board, and was rescued later by Krotz Spring fire...
Body of Tugboat Crewmember in Houston Ship Channel Accident Recovered
Saturday, February 20th, 2010
The body of the tugboat worker who had been missing since the vessel sank this week, has been found. The vessel, JR Nichols sank on Wednesday night. There were five workers on board and four were rescued from the water. The fifth crewmember had been missing for a few hours. The next morning, his body was recovered by salvage workers. The Coast Guard says it is continuing its investigation into the sinking of the tugboat.
The vessel was operated by Kinder Morgan. My heart goes out to the family of the worker here. A seaman’s...
Seaman Killed in Mooring Lines Accident in New Jersey
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
A tugboat worker was killed in a tragic accident involving mooring lines or hawsers, on the Hackensack River in New Jersey last month. The worker was apparently engaged in tying cables to another vessel that was being towed by the tugboat, when he became entangled in the cables. The injuries were fatal, and he died at the scene.
Seamen who work with mooring lines are aware of the kind of dangers their work involves. These cables are high tension wires, that can snap or break under excessive stress. Cables may be frayed or damaged, leading to a snap back....
New York Tugboat Crewmember Medevaced, But Dies in Hospital
Sunday, January 10th, 2010
Maritime workers work under some of the most dangerous conditions, and very few people aside from the attorneys who represent them, realize how stressful these conditions are. Last week, a 52-year-old tugboat crewmember had to be medically evacuated from a tugboat near Brooklyn. When Coast Guard crews arrived, they found the crewmember unconscious and not breathing. Coast Guard crews performed CPR, and rushed him to a hospital for emergency treatment. Unfortunately, the crewmember was declared dead at the hospital. Investigations are still going on.
Our hearts go out to the family of this seaman. A death in the family...
