Monday, July 31, 2006

Kite tube accident puts man on crusade

The question with the kite tubes is whether using one, even as the manufacturer recommends, can ever be safe, said Julie Vallese, a spokesperson for the Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington, D.C. The agency pushed for the recall after investigating kite tube accidents.

Dwayne

Quote

The Cure for Anything is Saltwater: Sweat, Tears or the Sea... Isak Dinesen

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Two Life Jackets Short?

This is a podcast about a tragic boating accident in Southwest Florida this weekend. Dwayne

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Cruise line: Ship tilt caused by human error

ORLANDO, Fla. - Human error caused a cruise ship to tilt at sea last week, injuring 240 passengers as tables, chairs and debris flew about the boat, a cruise line official said.

A similar tilt occurred in February on a ship also operated by Princess. The 2,600-passenger Grand Princess left the Port of Galveston but soon made an emergency turnaround because a passenger suffered a heart attack. The ship tipped sharply on its side, injuring 10 crew members and 27 passengers. The cause of that list was determined to be human error.

Dwayne

Port Closed For Hours After Container Ship Runs Aground

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A container ship that ran aground in the St. John's River near the mouth of the St. Johns River Tuesday night was freed nearly four hours later.

Dwayne

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

US Coast Guard rescues 23 crew from sinking ship

Photo

US Coast Guard rescues 23 crew from sinking ship

Dwayne

 

NTSB DETERMINES 2005 ETHAN ALLEN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY VESSEL'S INSTABILITY

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NTSB PRESS RELEASE

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National Transportation Safety Board

Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 25, 2006

SB-06-42

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NTSB DETERMINES 2005 ETHAN ALLEN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY VESSEL'S INSTABILITY

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Washington, DC. - The National Transportation Safety Board today determined that the probable cause of the capsizing of the Ethan Allen was the vessel's insufficient stability to resist the combined forces of a passing wave or waves, a sharp turn, and the resulting involuntary shift of passengers to the port side of the vessel. The vessel's stability was insufficient because it carried 48 persons where post-accident stability calculations demonstrated that

it should have been permitted to carry only 14 persons.

Contributing to the cause of the accident was the failure to reassess the vessel's stability after it had been modified because there was no clear requirement to do so.

On October 2, 2005, the Ethan Allen, a tour vessel carrying

47 passengers and one crewmember capsized in Lake George,

New York. As a result of the accident, 20 passengers died.

"This tragic accident highlights the need for clear requirements to verify a vessel's stability after any modifications are made to the vessel," said NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker.

In 1964, the Ethan Allen, a 40-foot fiberglass excursion vessel operating under a different name, was certified by the U.S. Coast Guard to carry 48 passengers and two crewmembers. In 1979, the boat was purchased by Shoreline Cruises, Inc. and relocated from Connecticut to New York where it came under the jurisdiction of the state. New York state officials established the same load restrictions for the vessel as the U.S. Coast Guard. In 1989, an all-wood canopy with Plexiglas windows was installed on the Ethan Allen. The state's file on the vessel contains no record of inspections and/or stability assessments relating to modifications to the boat's canopy between 1979 and 1991.

 

As a result of the Safety Board's investigation of the accident involving the Ethan Allen, the following recommendations were made:

To the United States Coast Guard:

Provide guidance to the States on U.S. Coast Guard standards for and assessment stability of small passenger vessels.

To New York State:

Address safety deficiencies identified in the investigation of the Ethan Allen accident and issue technical guidance to vessel owners on the inspection requirements for modified vessels, stability assessment and criteria, means for determining maximum safe load conditions, drug and alcohol testing, manning, and safety briefings.

Discontinue the use of capacity plate data associated with the U.S. Coast Guard's noncommercial boating standards for determining passenger loading on public vessels that carry more than six passengers and adopt the Coast Guard small passenger vessel inspection standards.

A synopsis of the Board's report, including the probable cause and recommendations, is available on the Board's website, www.ntsb.gov. The Board's full report will be available on the website in several weeks.

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Media Contact: Terry N. Williams

williat@ntsb.gov

202) 314-6100

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Michigan man charged in boating death

An American man faces charges in a Manitoulin Island boat crash that killed a teenaged girl from Sudbury.

The collision on the night of July 12 on Lake Manitou killed 17-year-old Justine Martin. Martin died when a powerboat slammed into the aluminum boat she was in.

Dwayne

Crown Princess Cruise Ship mishap nearly a catastrophe

It has been said:

“At the time of the incident, the ship was on autopilot and its captain away from the bridge.”

Dwayne  

Snapped line injures 2 at Port Canaveral on Shrimp Boat

Two men were injured today after a two-inch anchor line snapped on a shrimp boat at Port Canaveral, officials said.

Dwayne

Monday, July 17, 2006

Children In Boat Suffer Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

A day of boating on Pineview Reservoir turned into a major medical emergency for three children who were exposed to dangerous carbon monoxide fumes Friday.

Kristen

Hidden Boating Hazard: Carbon Monoxide

Going boating this weekend? If so, you need to be aware of a little-known danger - carbon monoxide. Colorless and odorless, it’s released by boat generators, propane heaters and in dangerously high concentrations by boat engines.

Kristen

Dad drowns in Rappahannock

A father-son boating trip last night turned tragic in Stafford County after the the dad fell from the boat and never resurfaced, Stafford Sheriff Charles Jett said.

Kristen

Boating Accident On Skiatook Lake Leaves One Man Missing

Authorities searched Skiatook Lake again Sunday for a man they believe drowned after a boating accident Saturday.

Kristen

Two Die In Weekend Jet Ski Accidents

Investigators are reminding people about the dangers of being on the water after two fatal watercraft accidents this weekend.

Kristen

1 teen dies, 1 hurt after tube hits boat

Authorities say one teenager died and another was injured Saturday night after their inner tube hit a boat moored in a Sebring lake.

Kristen

Thursday, July 13, 2006

USA. Coast Guard rescues man after surviving 24 hours in the water

A man is recuperating at the hospital today after being in the ocean for 24 hours after he fell over the side of his boat. Brian Wallschlaeger, 34, a resident of New Smyrna, Fla., was found at noon yesterday approximately two-miles north of his 32-foot vessel after an extensive search by the Coast Guard, Navy and local search and rescue crews.

Kristen

Officials identify men who died in boating accident

Law enforcement officials today identified the two men who died in a boating accident near Santa Cruz Island and talked with the lone survivor.

Kristen

Charges dropped against passengers in fatal July 1 boat crash

Charges have been dropped against two of the three people arrested in a boating accident that killed an Eatonton man, authorities said. Mark Entrekin, 49, allegedly the driver of the boat. was indicted by a Baldwin County grand jury Tuesday on charges of homicide by vessel.

Kristen

Most of Erie Canal Reopens After Floods

While state Canal Corp. officials say that 90 percent of the 524-mile system is reopened after a series of storms and floods, Lock 10 in Schenectady County, along the Erie Canal, could be closed for as long as two months.

Kristen

Grand Jury Indicts Boating Hit-and-Run Suspect

On Tuesday a Baldwin County grand jury indicted Mark Entrekin on one count of homicide by vessel, one count of failure to render aid, and a charge of boating under the influence.

Kristen

Water Safety in Schuylkill River

It's a dangerous summer in and on Pennsylvania waters according to the State Fish and Boat Commission.

Kristen

Classes sound an alert for safety on the water

Boating courses arm users with knowledge to avoid accidents.

Kristen

What happened to Jim Trindade?

Six months ago today, Jim Trindade vanished at sea while returning home from the Bahamas.

Kristen

Sunday, July 02, 2006