Recent Updates
July 21, 2008
COAST GUARD SEARCHING FOR TWO MISSING CREWMEMBERS
July 07, 2008
CRUISE SHIPS RUNS AGROUND NEAR GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK
June 25, 2008
SUPREME COURT REDUCES DAMAGES IN EXXON VALDEZ SPILL CASE; SUGGESTS 1:1 DAMAGES RATIO FOR MARITIME CASES
June 20, 2008
NORTHWEST RECREATIONAL BOATING FATALITIES UP 18%
June 17, 2008
AT-SEA GAS EXPOSURE CAUSES DEATH OF CREWMEMBER
June 16, 2008
INVESTIGATION BEGUN IN FATAL SAILBOAT SINKING
June 02, 2008
TWO INJURIES IN TWO DAYS FOR VIRGINIA TUG WORKERS
May 29, 2008
MECHANICAL PROBLEM LIKELY CAUSE OF FATAL HELICOPTER CRASH
May 28, 2008
NEW VESSEL SECURITY OFFICER RULE
Vessel Crashes and Collisions
CRUISE SHIPS RUNS AGROUND NEAR GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
July 07, 2008
The Spirit of Glacier Bay, a 178-foot cruise ship operated by Cruise West Enterprises, ran aground this morning in Tarr Inlet near Glacier Bay National Park. There were 51 people aboard at the time of the accident, but so far no injuries have been reported. Several Coast Guard vessels and The Glacier Bay National Park Service vessel Fairweather II Express were dispatched to assist the cruise ship, which appeared to be only slightly damaged by the grounding.
If you have been injured while aboard a cruise ship, be sure to fund out about your rights under maritime law. In cruise ship injury cases it is especially important to act quickly, because many cruise companies limit the timeframe in which an injured passenger can file a claim. This window of time in which to pursue a cruise ship-related claim can very short, so contact a maritime lawyer right away in the case of injury aboard a cruise ship. For more information on the rights of cruise ship passengers under maritime law, visit the Beard Stacey Trueb & Jacobsen website, or give us a call for a free consultation.
INVESTIGATION BEGUN IN FATAL SAILBOAT SINKING
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
June 16, 2008
Texas A&M officials have ordered a probe into the sinking of the sailboat Cynthia Woods, which sank last week during a 630-mile regatta from Galveston, Texas to Vera Cruz, Mexico. Four students and one safety official from the vessel were rescued after floating for 26 hours in choppy seas, while another safety official, Roger Stone, was found dead aboard the sunken vessel. Mr. Stone drowned after heroically helping two students escape the cabin of the vessel. The Cynthia Woods sank after the keel of the vessel became separated from the hull, causing the vessel to take on water and capsize extremely quickly.
ALASKA RANGER: THE RESCUE MISSION
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
May 28, 2008
The Marine Board of Investigation heard harrowing and heroic accounts of the rescue mission undertaken to save the crew of the Alaska Ranger, which sank early Easter morning.
FISHING COMPANY OF ALASKA - ALASKA RANGER SINKS IN BERING SEA
Posted by: James Beard
March 24, 2008
Four crewmen have died and one is missing in the Bering Sea following the sinking of the ALASKA RANGER in the Bering Sea Marach 23, 2008. The 180 foot Alaska Ranger is a factory trawler owned by the Fishing Company of Alaska. The vessel developed rudder problems and began taking on water around 3:00 a.m., forcing the vessel's crew to abandon ship in survival suits and life rafts. The Coast Guard reports that 42 crewmen have been rescued, 13 of which were found in survival suits in 8-10 foots seas streching over a one mile area; other crewmen were successfully able to get into the ALASKA RANGER's life rafts. The accident happened approximately 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
SEARCH FOR THE TRANSITION CALLED OFF
Posted by: euser
March 07, 2008
Mike Dunne and Vern McGee are missing, along with the vessel "Transition." On February 22, 2008 the Coast Guard was notified, and a 6-day search began that covered 6700 square miles of water and shoreline. On the 27th, a door from the Transition was found on Frederick Sound on Kupreanof Island.
Mike and Vern were on their way from Juneau to Ketchikan at the time of the incident. The search was officially called off on February 28th, 2008.
Source: USGC Press Release
EPIRB ASSISTS IN RESCUE IN SINKING OF LADY BLACKIE
Posted by: euser
December 06, 2007
Monday, November 26th, 2007: Lady Blackie, a 90 foot fishing vessel, began taking on water at about 4:45 am in Wide Bay in Shelikof Strait.
M/S EXPLORER HITS ICE AND SINKS
Posted by: James Beard
December 06, 2007
On Friday, November 23, 2007 the Canadian cruise ship "M/S Explorer" began taking on water after hitting submerged ice off of Antarctica's South Shetland Islands.
COMMERCIAL FISHING BOAT PAPA GEORGE SINKS, CAUSING DEATH OF TWO CREWMAN
Posted by: James M. Beard
September 05, 2007
The United States Coast Guard has reported that on September 3, 2007 the Papa George, a sardine fishing vessel, sank 12 miles off the coast of the State of Washington. The Seattle Times reports that the United States Coast Guard has released the names of two of the five man crew including the captain, David Starbuck, and crewman Ethel Zelaya , who died in the sinking. Three crewmen were able to survive by abandoning ship into the vessel's skiff. The Coast Guard investigation into the sinking of the Papa George will be continuing.
This tragic accident demonstrates that commercial fishing remains one of the deadliest and most dangerous jobs in the world. The Coast Guard is reported to be investigating the possibility that the malfunctioning of a pump in the vessel's hold may have contributed to the vessel's loss. The Fishing Vessel Safety Act requires vessels such as the Papa George to have certain basic safety features, such as emergency electronic locating devices (EPIRBS), bilge pumps with check valves, and to participate regularly in safety drills. Early reports indicated the vessel did not issue a may day, and EPIRB's did not activate automatically notifying the Coast Guard of the sinking when the vessel sank.
Crewmen injured in fishing accidents may be entitled to compensation under Federal Maritime Laws including the Death on the High Seas Act and the Jones Act. Actions for maritime wrongful death may be brought in State or Federal Courts where the deceased crewmen's family members may make claims for negligence or unseaworthiness against the owners of the fishing vessel or crewman's employer.
Contact the experienced lawyers at Beard Stacey Trueb & Jacobsen to talk about you case, or visit our website for more basic information about maritime law and about our practice.
FISHING VESSEL SPILLS 3,500 GALLONS OF DIESEL NEAR VALDEZ; SKIPPER REFUSES DRUG TEST
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
July 26, 2007
The fishing vessel Nordic Viking ran hard aground about 25 miles south of Valdez, AL on July 21st. One of the vessel's fuel tanks was breached upon grounding, spilling up to 3,500 gallons of diesel fuel.
TWO COMMUTER FERRIES COLLIDE EN ROUTE, ONE INJURED
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
July 12, 2007
Two commuter ferries carrying over 150 passengers between them collided in the fog on the morning of June 10, amazingly resulting in only one minor injury.
COAST GUARD RESCUES TWO FROM FLOODED TUG; UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF FUEL IS LEAKED INTO THE WATER
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
July 12, 2007
The Coast Guard rescued two men off the 60-foot tug Jahmon that was taking on water two miles west of Pine Island, in north Ft. Myers Beach, Fla., on June 11.
FISHING VESSEL DAMAGED IN COLLISION WITH CRUISE VESSEL; COLLISION UNDER INVESTIGATION BY COAST GUARD
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
July 09, 2007
The Coast Guard is investigating a collision between the 257-foot cruise vessel Spirit of Yorktown and the 58-foot fishing vessel Adirondack.
VESSEL EXPLOSION INJURES EIGHT
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
June 19, 2007
A 30-foot cabin cruiser exploded Sunday, June 16 while filling up at a fuel dock in St Paul, MN.
WOMAN INJURED IN VESSEL COLLISION
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
June 12, 2007
A collision between a recreational fishing boat and a gasoline barge in Long Island Sound on Sunday, June 10 left one woman critically injured.
SEVEN RESCUED AFTER ALCHOHOL-INDUCED CRASH IN CLEVELAND HARBOR
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
June 11, 2007
A 37-foot power boat crashed into a break-wall near Edgewater Marina in Cleveland at about 25 knots at three in the morning on Saturday, June 9.
TEN INJURED IN WHALE WATCHING ACCIDENT
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
June 11, 2007
Ten passengers aboard the whale-watching vessel Island Explorer II were injured when the ship hit a submerged rock off the coast of Whidbey Island, WA on Thursday, June 7.
VESSEL COLLISION LEAVES TWO INJURED, ONE ON LIFE SUPPORT
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
June 11, 2007
A collision between a tug/barge and a pleasure boat on Sunday, June 10 near Kings Point, NY is being investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard.
