Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All

4 dead after explosion at T2 Labs chemical plant in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE - An explosion and fire at a chemical plant killed four people Wednesday and injured at least 14, fire officials said. It was not clear what caused the explosion about 1:30 p.m. at the T2 Laboratories Inc. plant, which makes chemical solvents and fuel additives, said Tom Francis, a fire rescue spokesman. The chemicals at the plant made the environment "incredibly dangerous for the first responders," Francis said. "Explosions were generating all kinds of side brush fires and other kinds of blazes."

FWC: Fisherman Killed In Boating Accident in Jacksonville - Dixie Mama

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A Jacksonville man died in a boating accident Sunday, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Fishermen near Clapboard Creek Bridge off the St. Johns River found Fred Francis Odom, 57. The fishermen called 911, and the victim’s body was recovered by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, which had the first crew at the scene. Odom reportedly was attempting to secure his commercial fishing vessel, a 1967 31-foot Sea Skiff named “Dixie Mama,” which had broken free from its anchor. According to FWC investigator Kevin Larson, an 8-foot dinghy was found adrift nearby. “It appears that this tragedy was an accidental drowning and emphasizes the importance of wearing a life jacket when on the water,” Larson said. Odom was not wearing a life jacket, according to FWC. FWC continues to investigate the accident.

Crew members' location still unknown

The mother of one of four missing crew members aboard the charter boat Joe Cool is pleading for help from the South Florida boating community to resume the search for the victims. Leanne Van Laar has enlisted volunteers from the nonprofit Texas EquuSearch to help her find out what happened to her daughter, Kelley Branam, who disappeared along with husband captain Jake Branam and two crew members after two men allegedly hijacked the boat in September. But the Texas group does not have a boat; it needs a craft 40-to-60-feet long to conduct a search of the waters and atolls from Miami to south of Bimini, Bahamas, according to Cindy Wisdom, Texas EquuSearch case manager. Wisdom and Van Laar hope someone will agree to donate a boat for up to three days.

Man falls 50 feet aboard cruise ship

MIAMI - A man who fell 50 feet aboard a cruise ship Friday morning has been taken back to land and is being treated for injuries at Jackson Memorial Hospital, officials said. The man fell sometime before 5 a.m. aboard the Norwegian Majesty, a cruise traveling from the Florida Keys to Charleston, N.C., according to a report by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. He fell within the ship and not into the water.

Boaters had better have insurance

Who needs it? You do. Many boaters are on the water without adequate insurance coverage or none at all. In today's world, that's a bad idea. Although few, if any states require boats to be insured like automobiles, it's a good idea if you have anything more than a minimal investment in it. If you have a loan with the boat as collateral, their lender usually will require you to keep the boat insured. However, this may not be sufficient to protect you since they are only interested in getting their money if tragedy strikes.

A UM research ship ran aground on a coral reef last month but never reported the damage. The school now faces potentially heavy penalties and costs.

The University of Miami's marine research ship struck and stuck fast on a shallow reef in Biscayne National Park, then cruised on without reporting the incident. The university and the ship's captain both could face potentially heavy penalties for the grounding, which left the 96-foot F.G. Walton Smith wedged on a patch of coral for about an hour just southeast of Elliott Key last month.

Coast Guard Medevacs Injured Crewman off Vessel Midnight Brave

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard medevaced a 30-year-old man from a vessel approximately 100-miles south of Lake Charles, La., this afternoon. A watchstander at Air Station New Orleans received a call at 9 a.m., from the Eighth District Command Center, reporting that a crewman working on the vessel Midnight Brave had been injured and was requesting a medevac.

Joe Cool Artilce by Vanessa Leggett

In Cold Blog: The REAL Women's Murder Club

This is a very comprehensive and interesting article by Vanessa Leggett on the alleged murders on Joe Cool.

Dwayne Clark

Ship's Crew To Appear Before Grand Jury

The crew of the ship that leaked 58,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay has been ordered to appear before a federal grand jury. The San Francisco Chronicle reports the U.S. attorney's office is convening the grand jury to look into potential criminal violations.

Coast Guard airlifts ill Jacksonville man - George Erwin Safe at Home

44-year-old Jacksonville man who became ill aboard a tugboat off the coast of North Carolina was hoisted from the boat by a Coast Guard helicopter Wednesday and taken to a Myrtle Beach hospital, authorities said. George Erwin was taken from the boat after experiencing swelling caused by diabetes, according to the Coast Guard. The 80-foot tugboat Socrates was in 10-foot seas about 40 miles east of Cape Fear, N.C., when the Coast Guard was called. A helicopter from Air Facility Charleston diverted from a training exercise and a rescue swimmer was dropped onto the boat. Erwin was placed in a hoist basket and lifted from the boat just before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. He was taken to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center in Myrtle Beach, according to the Coast Guard. Dana Treen

The trawler Gaul: Making bubbles

The trawler Gaul: Making bubbles This is a link to a Trawler Gaul post. We had posted on the vessel and this blog previously. Dwayne

Bourbon Dolphin report inconclusive

A PRELIMINARY report into the capsizing of the anchor handling tug Bourbon Dolphin off Shetland last April says a combination of factors contributed to the tragedy. The Norwegian tug turned turtle during a routing operation, with the loss of eight lives, including the captain’s 14 year old son who was on work experience.

Joe Cool Crew Still Missing - Update Article

MIAMI - Unlike most boats returning from the high seas, the sport fisher Joe Cool had no tales to tell.

Florida Man dies in boating Accident

A Calhoun County man’s body was found Wednesday morning in Lake Wimico after he was thrown from a boat the night before.Robert Brian McLeod, 32, of Kinard, and his brother-in-law, Neil Goodson, were in a 10-foot aluminum boat in the Moccasin Creek area, checking deer stands for the upcoming deer hunting season when they hit an unknown object in the water about 7 p.m. CDT, said Lt. Stan Kirkland with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Murder Charges Filed Against 2 in Joe Cool - Missing Crew Case

MIAMI (AP) -- Federal prosecutors charged two men Wednesday with murdering the captain and three crew members of a charter fishing boat they are accused of trying to hijack after hiring it for a quick trip to the Bahamas. Suspects Kirby Logan Archer, 35, and Guillermo Zarabozo, 19, were rescued from the ocean and are in custody. They could get the death penalty or life in prison if convicted. The charges were built largely on forensic evidence and inconsistencies in statements made by the suspects to investigators about what happened aboard the 47-foot "Joe Cool" fishing boat, said U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta. Prosecutors have no bodies, no murder weapon, no witnesses and no confession, but Acosta said there is still enough evidence to back up the charges. "We shouldn't shy away from a case simply because it isn't an easy one," Acosta said at a news conference. "These four individuals were doing what they loved. They were out on the seas, on a boat, and they were murdered in cold blood." Attorneys for Archer and Zarabozo did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment. A hearing is scheduled Thursday in federal court for both men.

Coast Guard Commandant Addresses Racial Incidents in the Coast Guard

Tribute held for missing boaters

MIAMI - About 20 people gathered early Saturday behind a waterfront Star Island mansion, set to pay tribute to relatives and friends lost at sea. For this water-bound memorial, there would be no ashes to spread. No one has seen the bodies of husband and wife Jake and Kelley Branam, Scott Gamble or Samuel Kairy since the Joe Cool charter boat was found without them. They are presumed dead in a strange nautical crime.

Passengers Archer and Zarabozo - Under Investigation for Murder

The captain and crew of the Joe Cool appear to have been fatally shot in the cabin of the doomed fishing vessel, a federal prosecutor said Tuesday, confirming for the first time that two men found in a life raft near the abandoned boat are homicide suspects. 'They are presently under investigation for murder,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gilfarb said at a bond hearing for Kirby Archer and Guillermo Zarabozo in Miami federal court, where the two were ordered held without bail. Archer, 35, of Strawberry, Ark., and Zarabozo, 19, of Hialeah, were found Sept. 24 in the Joe Cool 's life raft about 30 miles north of Cuba and 160 miles south of Bimini, where they had paid $4,000 cash to go. The Miami Beach-based Joe Cool was found several miles from the life raft, empty and in disarray.

Joe Cool Update - Tale of Murder on the High Seas?

The passengers are now saying that "unknown subjects" had hijacked the boat, shot and killed the four crew members and then ordered the passengers to throw the bodies into the sea.

Tale of Murder on the High Seas??

Yacht skipper’s family hopeful boaters still alive and cousin of missing captain says survivor’s hijacking-at-sea story far-fetched... ,p/> Jake Branam's website with photos of he and friends can be viewed here. Very sad to view these photos of a young man with a lot of potential. Hopefully the crew is still alive.

2nd UPDATE

3rd UPDATE

FOURTH UPDATE: PORTRAIT OF A SUSPECT

FIFTH UPDATE: BAIL HEARING POSTPONED

SIXTH UPDATE: HEARING POSTPONED

Seventh UPDATE - No bodies no confessions may make for a difficult prosecution??

Dwayne

Joe Cool - Missing Crew - What Are the Lessons that Can be Learned?? How Can Charter Boat Captains and Crew Protect Themselves??

Below is a story about the above pictured boat, The Joe Cool. This tragic story is all over the news. It remains possible that the crew who disappeared on Saturday are still alive. They may have been put off on an island or could be floating in life jackets in the Gulf Stream off the East Coast. We hope they are found safe soon. The Captain and his wife apparently have two small children that they left behind.

It is unknown presently whether there was foul play but the there is speculation that the passengers did something to the crew.

This story raises questions about how Charter Captains and Crew can keep themselves safe if their boat is chartered by passengers with criminal intent. In this age of terrorism and at times piracy one must be vigilant when taking on passengers.

If you have thoughts about how vessel owners, Captains and crews can keep themselves safe from criminal acts please share them with us.

Again we hope there has been no crime and that the Captain and his crew are found safe soon.

UPDATE

Reports in this case say that piracy off South Florida is rare to non-existent. This case, however, demonstrates how easy it is for (alleged) crimials to overpower a knowledable and sizeable crew. One must assume that the antenna of all boat captains and operators will go up following this incident and that it will not just be business as usual. Security measures on big ships like Cruise Ships is common but it seems that more must be done to protect small operators. This may be an isolated incident but one must wonder whether others may copy-cat on this incident. If these passengers did kill the crew (alleged but not proven yet) it shows how easy it would be to repeat this crime. These passengers (if they did it) did not know enough to operate the boat to their destination. If experienced operators pulled the same kind of stunt there is no telling what mischief they could do with a boat of this size. To me, this is an imporatant issue for the boating and yachting community.

From this article ( http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flbcaptains0930nbsep30,0,3438134.story ) it looks like things may be changing on the docks.

Dwayne Clark

FBI questions witnesses ( Kirby Archer and G. Zarabozo ) about 4 missing crew ( Jake Branam, wife and crew ) - Charter Boat Joe Cool Crew Missing -

MIAMI - Four crew members were missing from a boat found adrift and two passengers, one of them a fugitive from Arkansas, were being questioned by federal authorities Tuesday after they were rescued in the Florida Straits near Cuba. Kirby Logan Archer, 35, of Strawberry, Ark., and Guillermo Zarabozo, 19, of Hialeah, were found in good condition Monday morning on a life raft. Sunday, the “Joe Cool” charter boat, a 47-foot sport fishing yacht, was found adrift 160 miles south of Bimini, near the Cay Sal Bank, with no one on board.Those missing include the captain of the “Joe Cool,” 27-year old Jake Branam, his wife Kelly, 30-year old Scott Campbell and 27-year old Samuel Kairy.

"Everything on the vessel was in complete disarray, thrown around. It looked like whoever had been on the vessel left in a hurry," said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer James Judge.He said a check of the boat's global positioning system indicated the vessel had made erratic movements about halfway to Bimini, then turned sharply south. There was no sign of blood or violence on the vessel. The life raft was missing. "I was hoping that if the boat was pirated, they put the crew in the life raft, because it was missing," said Jeff Branam. Before noon Monday, he learned that was not the case. Here's a strange twist to the mystery. The latest from the Miami Herald. UPDATE on Joe Cool missing crew from Orlando Sentinel.

Hit and Run Boaters Remain on the Loose - Barry Pendley Killed

Barry Pendley, and his son Dylan Pendley, 8, were riding separate jet skis on the Colorado River near Topock. A boat traveling at high speed slammed into Barry, its wake nearly knocking Dylan into the water as well.Two people, a man and woman, aboard the speeding boat briefly turned back to see Barry's lifeless body floating in the river. They then headed south toward Lake Havasu, leaving an ongoing death investigation to the San Bernardino (Calif.) Sheriff's Department.

------------------------- See this article also.

Cases don't get much worse than this. If you or someone you know has any information about this incident call the authorities. The family will have no closure until this is solved. In most hit and run cases someone knows what happened and they should come forward.

Dwayne

Man Killed In Freak Boating Accident - Christopher Diaz of Oviedo

A man was killed and his son badly hurt, in a boating accident off the Brevard County coast. It happened about six miles off shore from Port Canaveral.

Christopher Diaz of Oviedo was killed and his son, Christian Jensen, was badly hurt.

Body of Missing Coast Guardsman Found - Vincent Colon

PORTLAND, MAINE - A body found yesterday in the water near the Maine State Pier has been identified as Coast Guard Seaman Vincent Colon, 24, of Queens, New York.

A Sea Tow operator found Colon around 7:40 a.m., yesterday and notified local and state agencies. A 25-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station South Portland was sent to recover Colon’s body.

See also this story. /p

FWC looking for accident witnesses

Lawmen continue to look for someone who drove an injured boater to get medical treatment early Sunday morning. The driver and owner of the boat, 44-year-old Scott Block of Niceville, was treated and released for head injuries, according to Stan Kirkland, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Block’s 19-foot Master-Craft boat was left stranded on the west jetty of East Pass near Destin. Block was reportedly at Helen Back at about 1 a.m. Sunday, Kirkland said. He told investigators that he left with several other individuals. “We’re hoping someone will come forward,” Kirkland said. “Right now, this is considered an active boating accident investigation.” Anyone with information is asked to call the FWC at (888) 404-3922.

Two Killed in Florida Helicopter Crash; Survivor from Los Angeles

Venice Florida -- A photo shoot turned deadly in the waters near Venice, Florida on Tuesday morning when a helicopter crashed, killing two people and injuring another. Authorities say the copter went down in about 20 feet of water about two miles off of Casey Key Road. That's about six miles northeast of Venice in the Gulf of Mexico.

F/V Papa George - Sinking and 2 crew dead

A Seattle fishing vessel that sank off the Washington coast Sunday apparently capsized after becoming flooded, killing two of its crew members, one of whom was seen in her final moments trying to rescue her dog.

"It's pretty cut and dry as to why this vessel sank," said Coast Guard Petty Officer Brian Fischer. "At some point, they were pumping more water on than they were pumping off."

The two crew members of the F/V Papa George who died in the accident were identified by the Coast Guard on Monday as ships master David Starbuck, 62, and crew member Ethel Zelaya, 37.

Reports are that the ship's automatic beacon (probably epirb) did not send signal.

Man Severely Injured Trying To Tie Ship To Pier

MARBLEHEAD, Ohio -- The Coast Guard had to get a man to emergency services after his hand was severely cut while working on a ship on Lake Erie.

The crewman from the Laker Adam E. Cornelius was injured while he was working the lines that tied the laker to the pier. His hand was caught between the cleat on the pier and the line, officials said.

The accident happened at 10:20 p.m. at the stone dock near Marblehead.

Coast Guard Station Marblehead launched a 25-foot response boat to assist the injured crewman and transferred him to awaiting emergency medical services.

Copyright 2007 by NewsNet5. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Ocala-area teen in Pompano parasail accident dies

FORT LAUDERDALE - Members of Amber White's family came Monday to say goodbye, as they gave up hope the 15-year-old girl would recover from injuries suffered in a parasailing accident over the weekend off Pompano Beach. "She's passed on," said James Day, Amber's stepfather, seated in the dimly lit seventh-floor waiting room of the pediatric intensive care unit at Broward General Medical Center. "She was declared clinically dead Sunday at about 6 p.m. She's still on life support, just to say goodbye." ======================================= Some say more regulation is needed. This does appear to be an industry that is lax and that has had some safety problems. Dwayne

$10 Million Fine In Alaska Freighter Grounding, NTSB At Issue

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA—IMC Shipping Co. Pte. Ltd., a Singapore corporation, has entered into an agreement to plead guilty in federal court to two violations of the Refuse Act for the illegal discharge of oil and soy beans and one violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for the killing of thousands of migratory birds.

Blunders led to yacht tragedy... Jamie Butcher

KEEN sailor Jamie Butcher died when the badly-designed keel came off the racing yacht he was crewing, it has been revealed.

The yacht capsized off the Devon coast earlier this year. The skipper and three other crew members were rescued.

A report into the tragedy by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch has just been published, showing that the keel - the part of the yacht extending along the bottom from stem to stern - broke off as it was sailing in winds gusting to 35 knots off Prawle Point.

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This appears to have been avoidable.

Dwayne

Boat Rage???? Attempted Murder???

BOAT RAGE!!!!!!!!

The scene at the city-owned Kernwood Marina was chaotic when Salem police and harbormaster boats arrived at about 5:30 p.m. last Sunday. Witnesses were pointing at a boat that was partly under water at the end of the boat ramp, and Silva was clutching his arm.

Silva told police he had been boating on the ocean in his new 21-foot Checkmate and was bringing it in toward the ramp when his best friend, Phillips, crashed into the side of the boat where he was standing.

Phillips’ 21-foot Godfrey pontoon boat nearly crashed into his head, the victim said, and the impact knocked him to the floor. The victim believed Phillips backed up and slammed into the boat again, this time damaging the motor.

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Dwayne

Man is in the hospital after a boating accident at Mayport Florida

Three adults and three children were thrown from their boat when it hit the south jetties at the mouth of the St. Johns river on Saturday. Terry Loman was pinned between the jetties and the boat. A good samaritan teamed up with the Coast Guard to help pull the family out of the water. The Coast Guard says Loman had severe lacerations to his chest. See this from Coast Guard News. Dwayne

Yachts, drugs and a body in an old metal barrel

By Claire Osborn AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Charles Maynard Wyatt had it all in the 1970s: a Florida waterfront mansion, luxury cars and an 88-foot pontoon boat called the "Double Ugly."

Even after he was convicted in the early 1980s in connection with one of the biggest marijuana smuggling rings in the United States, he kept up his lifestyle, investing in commercial real estate in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., before moving to Travis County in search of a quieter life, his friends said.

Then, in 1990, he disappeared, leaving few clues as to what happened.

His remains, along with a diamond ring he liked to wear, were finally found last September entombed in a 55-gallon concrete-filled metal barrel that surfaced on Lake Buchanan during a drought. The remains were identified in June.

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Some mystery.......

Dwayne

Family boat explodes; 5 are injured

By Larry Hertz Poughkeepsie Journal

CONNELLY - A family of five from Stormville were severely burned Saturday afternoon in an explosion aboard a cabin cruiser on the Rondout Creek, Ulster County authorities said.

The victims, Brian Dodge, 50, Laura Dodge, 48, and Wyatt Dodge, 12, were airlifted from the Rondout Yacht Basin to the burn unit at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla.

The two other children, Matthew Dodge, 16, and Hannah Dodge, 18, were initially transported to Benedictine Hospital in Kingston, but were later airlifted to Westchester Medical Center due to the severity of their burns.

All five were reported to be in stable condition, but with serious burns.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation by the Ulster County Arson Task Force, but it appears to be an accident, Undersheriff Frank Faluotico Jr. -------------------------------------------------------- Fueling with gasoline can be dangerous. The cause of this may not have been determined but it appears that it is fuel related. Dwayne

Picture released of boat victims

Pc Bob Chambers, of Hampshire Constabulary's marine support unit, said: "After the photo was taken the pair departed to look at the warship HMS Severn, which was anchored at Sandown Bay.

"They were seen by crew members on board the ship. After that it's believed they returned towards the beach at Whitecliff, but they were not seen again."

Coastguards believe the pair fell overboard either before or when the boat hit Bembridge Ledge - an outcrop of rock that juts dangerously into the sea.

Jacksonville Teen ( William Cesery ) Hurt in Boating / Jet Ski Accident

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- A teenager from Jacksonville is in critical condition at the hospital after getting run over by a boat. The Florida Fish & Wildlife says William Cesery, 15, jumped a wake on his jet ski. He landed in the path of an oncoming boat. Cesery turned to avoid hitting the boat. But the driver of the boat turned in the same direction in an attempt to avoid hitting Cesery. The two collided. Cesery suffered critical injuries.

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Dwayne

Small boat, helicopter train to save lives

HOUSTON - Two Coast Guard crews conducted training in Galveston Bay this morning to better prepare themselves to work together and save lives.

A 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Station Galveston and an HH-65C Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Houston conducted rescue basket hoist training.

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Train, drill, train.....makes it all work when the real stuff happens.

Dwayne

FORMER COAST GUARD COMMANDANT OWEN W SILER DIES

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Coast Guard today announced the death of Adm. Owen W. Siler, 85, Coast Guard commandant from 1974 to 1978, who succumbed to heart failure last night.

“This is a sad day for the Coast Guard,” said Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the Coast Guard. “The Coast Guard lost a close member of our family and America has lost a great leader. Adm. Siler’s relentless service to his Nation, from World War II to the war on drugs, will never be forgotten.

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I had the pleasure of serving under this man while he was Commandant. He was a great leader. We were proud to work for him.

Dwayne

One Dead, Several Hurt In Watercraft Accident

(CBS4) POMPANO BEACH One person has reportedly been killed, several others including a child injured in a personal watercraft accident in Pompano Beach. The Broward Sheriff's Office said the accident involved two watercraft vehicles that were traveling in the Intracoastal Waterway in the 25-hundred block of Southeast 8th Street. -------------------------------------- Posted by Dwayne

Bourbon Dolphin - Tragic tug had listed badly in previous incident, hearing told

A HEARING into the Bourbon Dolphin tragedy in which eight people died off the coast of Shetland in April has resumed in Norway. The Norwegian Government Commission has been hearing more evidence in Ålesund in a hearing which started yesterday and continued today. Bent Botten, a journalist on the Sunnmørsposten Norwegian newspaper, provides this report which has been translated into English by a Shetland-based linguist. Dwayne

Recreational Boating Has Never Been Safer?? Do you Agree??

This is one publications opinion: Do You Agree?? Dwayne

Us - According to the latest available statistics for 2004, more people died in bathtubs and swimming pools (847) than in recreational boats (676). In fact, you have a much greater chance of perishing from a fall involving a bed, chair or furniture (838) or falling from a stairs or steps (1,588) than you do in falling from a boat. ------------------------------------------------

Is this true or spin?? Let us know. Thanks, Dwayne

FWC Publishes Boating Accident Stats

Florida’s boating accident rate (671) for 2006 was second only to California’s 757. Florida led the nation with 69 fatalities, compared to 47 for Texas and 44 for California.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said the high numbers reflect the reality that Floridians own more than 1 million registered recreational vessels, and they use them throughout the year.

Dwayne

NTSB URGES INSPECTIONS OF LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT ON BOARD VESSELS

************************************************************

NTSB PRESS RELEASE / SAFETY RECOMMENDATION

************************************************************

National Transportation Safety Board

Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 5, 2007

SB-07-34

************************************************************

NTSB URGES INSPECTIONS OF LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT ON BOARD VESSELS Safety Recommendation M-07-9 and 10 (Urgent)

************************************************************

Washington, D.C. - The National Transportation Safety Board is urging the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to inspect certain lifesaving equipment that might not operate properly when needed.

The urgent safety recommendations are the result of information learned by the NTSB during its investigation of the Empress of the North grounding earlier this year. The Board has identified deficiencies in liferaft release units and evacuation slides. The Safety Board regards the issues as serious enough to issue urgent safety recommendations in advance of the final accident report.

"I commend our investigators for their expeditious efforts and thoroughness in identifying this problem," said

NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker "We hope that the Coast

Guard will act just as promptly in addressing the Board's concerns and solutions."

On May 14, 2007, the passenger vessel Empress of the North grounded at the intersection of Lynn Canal and Icy Straits, about 20 miles southwest of Juneau, Alaska, after the vessel failed to negotiate a turn to the west. No injuries resulted from the accident, but the vessel sustained significant damage to its underside and propulsion system. The 206 passengers were safely evacuated to assisting vessels and transported back to Juneau.

The Empress of the North was equipped with 22 inflatable liferafts stowed overhead on the main deck, 11 on each side, and it had two inflatable slides. Safety Board investigators were informed that about half the launching mechanisms in the liferafts did not operate properly.

Investigators also learned that while the crew attempted to launch the vessel's evacuation slides, they inflated upside down. This resulted in the slides having to be manually turned over by crewmembers.

The difficulties in launching the liferafts and the slides did not adversely affect the safe evacuation of passengers from the Empress of the North, because they were not needed due to the proximity of the other vessels.

Nevertheless, the Safety Board is concerned that had the emergency necessitated a rapid evacuation, valuable time would have been lost employing the lifesaving devices, endangering the safety of both passengers and crew. The Safety Board believes that to preclude that possibility in the future and on other vessels, urgent action is needed by the Coast Guard to ensure that this type of lifesaving equipment works properly.

The Safety Board's urgent recommendations state that the USCG should verify the functionality of the model of remote liferaft release units found on the Empress of the North, and should conduct a one-time inspection of evacuation slides last serviced by the company that serviced the slides on the Empress of the North.

The Board classifies both recommendations in the letter as "urgent". A copy of the recommendation letter may be found at the following link on the Board's website

http://www.ntsb.gov/recs/letters/2007/M07_9_10

.

-30-

NTSB Media Contact: Keith Holloway, (202) 314-6100

US Sailing Videos

There are some very useful videos for sailors and powerboaters on this site. Dwayne

Survivor of brutal attack dies in leap from ship

Anguish may have contributed to his decision to leap Sunday from a cruise ship to his death in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Boaters.tv - New Blog

This is a new blog that just linked to us. It looks interesting and we will follow its progess. Dwayne

Debate Over Boater Qualifications

Southold, NY - Sea Tow International, an international marine towing firm, plans to host an executive roundtable discussion at its New York headquarters next month to discuss mandatory boater education.

The roundtable will include industry representatives from key business segments, a news release says. The company, which has been serving the recreational boating public for 24 years, says boaters, like auto drivers, are at the mercy of those who share their waterways.

“Because of this, it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to be cognizant of, and adherent to, basic safety practices and the rules of the road. The way to accomplish this is through universal boater education,” according to the statement.

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Dwayne

Body Recovered Identified as One of Two Missing Boaters

Rescue crews from the Coast Guard, Texas EquuSearch, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and local police and fire crews continue the search this morning for Bill Harris.

Bill and Martha Harris went missing yesterday after their empty boat beached itself near Pine Gully Park with the engines still running.

Dwayne

Lake Sinclair boaters urged to avoid search for missing fisherman

LAKE SINCLAIR --

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is asking boaters to avoid the Lake Sinclair dam area as the search continues for a missing Statesboro man.

Crews have been searching since late Saturday for Chris Thompson who was involved in a fatal boating collision.

In spite of daylight to dusk searches, Thompson has not been found.

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Dwayne

Empowering woman to take to the sea

The fifth annual Woman Underway seminar at the Duxbury Bay Maritime School took place June 1 with a lot of firsts. It was the first year it was run entirely by women, and “the first time in five years it’s not raining,” DBMS Development Director Anne Mullins said.

“This is the fifth annual Woman Underway seminar, and the first year it is being run by all woman – it is the best year yet because of that,” Duxbury Bay Maritime School Executive Director Ned Lawson said as he introduced the seminar.

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See this interesting article from a very good blog on women and the sea.

Boating is certainly not just for men and boys.....There are a lot of great women skippers out there!!

Dwayne

Small Boats, Big Worries: Thwarting Terrorist Attacks from the Sea

Globally, terrorists have shown an increasing inter­est in using small boats to attack military and com­mercial shipping and maritime facilities. The tactics and techniques of using commercial or non-commer­cial vessels (under 500 tons) or swimmers to emplace or deliver improvised explosive devices have proven effective and exportable. Contemporary operational practices by transnational terrorist groups include refining proven attack methods, sharing lessons learned, and encouraging others to adopt effective tac­tics. Thus, the possibility of such attacks in U.S. waters should not be ignored.

All boaters can assist the authorities in practicing situational awareness. The Coast Guard and other agencies need all the eyes and ears they can find.....this includes all boaters. If you see something out of the ordinary report it to the Coast Guard.

Dwayne

3 boaters injured in LI Sound - Pleasure boat vs. Barge

Three boaters were injured in an apparent collision between a pleasure boat and a barge in Long Island Sound yesterday that left one woman on life support, Coast Guard officials said last night. The accident happened about 2:20 p.m. about half a mile north of Sands Point near an area called Execution Rocks, the guard and Nassau police said. "A 24-foot pleasure boat was struck by a barge," Police Officer Mary Verna said.

A signal unseen?

Update on this Story:,p/> A Bronx boater said he whistled and waved an orange lifejacket in a futile attempt to prevent an oncoming 324-foot tanker barge from hitting his 24-foot vessel in the waters off Sands Point. ----------------------------------------------------

The above article gives some good tips for avoiding collision or allisons with commercial vessels. Dwayne

Lake Sam Rayburn boating accident witnesses sought

NACOGDOCHES — As the investigation of a weekend boating accident that severed the leg of a 16-year-old Lufkin girl progresses, law enforcement officials said, details of the accident have become clearer.

Charles Clayton Gilstrap, 24, of Lufkin, was arrested for intoxicated assault after driving a boat that injured Ashton LaMar on Lake Sam Rayburn Saturday afternoon.

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The authorities need help on this one.....

Dwayne

Boating dangers: How safe are boaters on the waterways you visit?

Failure to wear a life vest, alcohol and inability to swim are factors in most of the 700 accidental boating deaths that occur each year in U.S. waters, according to a Gannett News Service analysis of boating accident data.

Of the 3,507 people who died in boating accidents between 2001 and 2005, about 80 percent weren’t wearing life vests, according to the GNS analysis of Coast Guard data.

Click here to check accident details for any waterway in the country by searching an interactive map.

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The above interactive map link is pretty neat...you can go state by state too....

Dwayne

Coast Guard Suspends Search for Flying Colours - Independent searchers look for missing sailors -

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Latest vigil news:

Baker City friends to hold vigil for grad missing in Atlantic

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On May 29, 2007 a person very close to the crew brought THIS story about the Flying Colours to my attention. The friends and family of the crew remain hopeful and need your help if you are on the water to continue the search for their loved ones. If you are passing through the area where this boat was lost please help the families by keeping a watchful eye and reporting any information that may assist them.

Dwayne

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The sailboat Flying Colours was reported missing in rough seas off North Carolina. Photo By: U.S. Coast Guard

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Vigil Held For Missing Sailboat Crew

This story is not about the Flying Colours but ended well for another sailor and his crew caught in the same terrible storm. This sailor thought that a oversized (he did not say rogue) wave destroyed his craft and he speculates that a same or similar wave may have taken the Flying Colours down. Sailor details terrifying ordeal of his rescue at sea The Coast Guard measured the waves at 50 feet. Dwayne --------------------------------------

Sailors’ circle holds hope This is the latest on this story. There are many survival tales from the sea. If this group or some of them got to a liferaft there remains a chance they survived this storm. Some survival books we have posted about on this blog relate stories of persons surviving for weeks and months with very little but sheer determination and a will to live. Dwayne --------------------------------------

Coast Guard Suspends Search for Flying Colours Although the Coast Guard has suspended the search the friends and families of the lost sailors of the Flying Colours are continuing on. The Coast Guard has limited resources and searched for many days. They cannot search forever. Now the search is left to fellow sailors, on the same or similar route or friends, family and those generally concerned. These sailors, by all reports were very experienced. They were apparently prepared and had some safety equipment with them. Castaways have been know to live for months at sea with very limited resources. It remains possible some or all of them are alive at sea. Any help from sailors on this course would be appreciated. 40 sailors from different areas are joining in the search. You can help by sending the families reports as you pass through the area or by sending funds. They have an email where they can be reached. Publicity and blogging will keep attention on this search and may help the families with information about their loved ones. Dwayne Clark ---------------------------------------

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - The Coast Guard suspended active searching today, pending further developments, for four sailors missing off the North Carolina coast since Monday morning: Patrick Topping, 39, Jason Franks, 34, Rhiannon Borisoff, 22, and Christine Grinavic, 25.

“Suspending a search is always a difficult step for the Coast Guard because we understand the impact that it has on the families involved,” said Rear Admiral Larry Hereth, Commander, Fifth Coast Guard District. “In the last six days, Coast Guard cutters and aircraft, along with numerous DOD aircraft searched all of the likely and even unlikely areas where the crew could be. Sadly, the threshold of survival seems negligible.”

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Danbury High grad lost at sea 34-year-old's boat missing since Monday

The friends of Jason Franks were praying for the 34-year-old sailor Saturday.

Franks, a 1991 Danbury High School graduate, was missing at sea off the coast of North Carolina. His sailboat, the "Flying Colours," had been missing since Monday , when high winds whipped the ocean as high as 40 feet.

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C-130 airplane and a Coast Guard boat search for survivors of the sailing yacht Flying Colours. U.S. COAST GUARD

------------------------------------------------------ Newport Sailors are keeping watch.... -----------------------------------------------------

This particular storm seems to have surprised a lot of boaters. The results have been tragic. Help with this seach in any way you can. If you are a blogger or in the media keep posting stories as it may keep postitive attention on the search.

Dwayne

Two Hurt In Mother's Day Boat Accident in South Florida - Sea Tow

(CBS4) MIAMI A South Florida teen remains hospitalized after a Mother's Day boating accident on the Intracoastal Waterway. Witnesses said the 24-foot boat, which was carrying four adults and three teens, was just off the 79th Street Causeway Boat Ramp at the Pelican Harbor Marina when it was hit by a boat owned by Sea Tow Services. -------------------------------------------- Dwayne

Coast Guard Saves Nine Lives from Three Sailboats

Coast Guard Saves Nine Lives from Three Sailboats

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - The Coast Guard rescued nine people today from three sailboats off the coast of North Carolina.

A Coast Guard HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew based out of Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., landed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point with the latest survivors, who were plucked from their sailboat about 120 miles off shore.

Dwayne

Coast Guard Medevacs Woman from Cruise Ship Norwegian Dawn

Coast Guard Medevacs Woman from Cruise Ship

New York - A rescue crew from Coast Guard Station Shinnecock medevaced a woman with potential spine injuries aboard a cruise ship anchored 3 miles south of East Hampton just before 8 p.m. today.

Dwayne

Gulf Stream

Coast Guard Hero has Died - BM2 Perrett

BM2 Perrett

R 062029Z MAY 07FM CCGDEIGHT NEW ORLEANS LA//DRMC//TO COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//RPF//COMLANTAREA COGARD PORTSMOUTH VA//CC//R 062008Z MAY 07 ZUI ASN-A08126000037FM COMCOGARD SECTOR NEW ORLEANS LA//CC//TO CCGDEIGHT NEW ORLEANS LA//DRMC//BTUNCLAS //N05360//SUBJ: DEATH OF AN HONORED CG MEMBER1. COAST GUARD SECTOR NEW ORLEANS ANNOUNCES WITH REGRET THE DEATHOF WORLD WAR II COAST GUARD VETERAN MARVIN J. PERRETT. MR. PERRETTWAS FOUND DECEASED IN HIS RESIDENCE AT METAIRIE, LOUISIANA ONSUNDAY, MAY 06, 2007. HE WAS 81. Dwayne

Boating accident leaves one dead - Cold Water - No Lifejackets

The United States Coast Guard is investigating a boating accident that left one man dead. It happened around 9:30 Sunday morning on Lake Michigan, about two miles west of Silver Beach. The Coast Guard says 65-year-old James Territo of Carlton, Michigan died in that accident. He was riding on a boat with two other fishermen from Newport, Michigan when the boat capsized....... .................................... The three people on the boat that capsized were not wearing life jackets, witnesses said. There were life jackets on the boat, though. The Coast Guard says this is an example of how important it is to wear floatation devices at all times. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dwayne

Police find bodies of 2 ( Paul Smith's ) college students after boating accident

PAUL SMITHS, NEW YORK -- Police found the bodies of two college students who died after falling into an Adirondack lake. The body of Sean Cornell, 20, of Manchester Center, Vt., was found Sunday about noon, said college spokesman Kenneth Aaron. Divers found Lee Walker, 18, of Enosburg Falls, Vt., late Saturday afternoon. --------------------------------------- Dwayne

Boating Safety Aimed at Anglers - From Coast Guard Waypoints

Whether an angler prefers fishing for bass, salmon, or trout, one thing’s for sure: it’s important to pay attention to safety when trying to haul anything on board. The U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that, approximately 25 percent of recreational boating deaths were related to vessels that were engaged in fishing activity. According to Jeff Hoedt, Chief of the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety, “Boating safety among anglers is a very important outreach initiative. All of us in the collective boating community must take a role in making sure that the estimated 19.5 million anglers on our waterways understand the potential hazards of angling while boating—and how to avoid them.” (From the 2001 U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation survey, available at http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/FHW01.pdf, p. 83.)

Best Dam Rescue - Video

These people are cool under pressure. Coasties. This video will give a little feel for what the Coasties do. Dwayne

Coast Guard signals boaters to prepare for emergencies

From Coast Guard News

Coast Guard signals boaters to prepare for emergencies

SEATTLE - The Coast Guard is reminding boaters everywhere of the importance of having the proper safety gear aboard while boating; especially of having an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB.)

This came from the Coast Guard News Blog. It is very informative.

Dwayne

Daniel Barclay, M-A quiz bowl star dies in Boating Accident

Menlo Park resident Daniel Barclay, 22, an MIT student who won local acclaim as the keystone of the Menlo-Atherton High School Quiz Bowl team, has died in a boating accident in Massachusetts, his family reported today.

Barclay, who graduated from M-A in 2003 and was only six weeks away from graduating from MIT with a simultaneous master's and bachelor's degrees in political science, was reported missing from MIT on April 8.

Dwayne

Why does it take hours to evacuate a sinking vessel?

A cruise ship, the Sea Diamond, ran into a reef off the coast of Santorini, Greece, on April 5, tearing a hole in the hull that sank the vessel 15 hours later. The nearly 1,600 passengers and crew didn't get off the ship for three hours. Why does an emergency evacuation take hours? Dwayne

Rory McAlinden and Clare Steele - Cousins - Perish Together in Tragic Boating Accident

CASTLEWELLAN will come to a standstill today for the funerals of the two teenaged cousins who drowned after a tragic boating accident.

Rory McAlinden (18) died as he heroically attempted to keep his cousin Clare Steele (16) afloat in the icy waters of Castlewellan Lake when the canoe they were in capsized.

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Dwayne

Brosnahan - Nearman - Story Continues -Iowa lawmakers fear proposed drunken boating law may be too tough

In the wake of an Okoboji boating death involving a Sioux Falls man, some Iowa lawmakers say they’re worried about a proposed law that would toughen drunken boating laws in that state. A bill, which was approved unanimously in the Iowa Senate, would lower the blood-alcohol limit for boaters from 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent, the current limit for driving on Iowa roads. ----------------------------------- We have commented on this case for many months now. Dwayne

Airboat Overturns In SW Miami-Dade - Airboat Accident

(CBS4) SW MIAMI-DADE Several people were in need of assistance after an airboat overturned in SW Miami-Dade. The accident occurred Tuesday afternoon 15-miles west of Krome Avenue and Tamiami Trail when an airboat operating out of the Miccosukee Reservation overturned, sending approximately 8 people into the water. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived at the scene and was able to remove everyone from the water safely. The victims were treated nearby for minor injuries. ---------------------------------------------------------- Dwayne

Boating Deaths Florida / Boating Safety

The sobering 18 boating accident deaths in Florida since Jan. 1 is the most for that period in 15 years, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is urging boaters to put safety first.

Dwayne

Sea Diamond - Captain of Sunken Cruise Ship Is Charged

Update on this story ....

ATHENS, Greece — The captain of a cruise ship that sank off an Aegean Sea island, sending more than 1,500 passengers and crew onto rescue boats, was charged Saturday with causing a shipwreck through negligence.

The 469-foot Sea Diamond sank into the sea after hitting a well-marked and charted reef on Thursday, in fair weather, inside the Greek island of Santorini's sea-filled volcanic crater.

This article says the crew is at fault.

Here is an article out of South Florida. South Florida Student arrive home after the sinking.

Dwayne

Why Celestial Navigation?? Do you need it??

Celestial Navigation is the art and science of navigating by the stars, sun, moon, and planets, and is one of the oldest of human arts. With the rise of radio and electronic means of finding location - especially with the increasingly popular GPS, based on satellite transmissions that can tell us our latitude and longitude within feet - knowledge of celestial navigation has experienced a precipitous decline. So why should anyone study it? This site will tell you why.

www.starpath.com says this: Well, the real answer is you don't. You don't even need a boat to get to Hawaii or Bermuda, or take a trip around the world. You can do this by plane. It is faster, cheaper, and more comfortable. On the other hand, if you do choose a life at sea, then one of the fundamental rules of thumb that has been tested so many times we don't even have to go over it, is you must be prepared to take care of yourself. You must be self reliant. Murphy's Law was invented on a small boat at sea. Anything electrical is vulnerable after some time in the salt air, especially when it is being jarred, bumped, banged, and dropped (i.e. going to weather). -------------------------------------

If you are planning an ocean passage and want to be safe this writer advocates celestial navigation as a safety contingency.

Dwayne

Jacksonville - St. Augustine - St Johns River - Boating Collision - Tom Mosley Missing

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The search efforts for a man who disappeared after two boats collided on the St. Johns River switched from rescue to recovery after several hours on and in the water.

Authorities searched overnight for Tom Mosley after the recreational boat he was driving collided with another on the river late Sunday. The search continues. Update: The body was found. -------------------------------- Dwayne

Dead Coast Guardsman not from Puget Sound

A Coast Guardsman who died Sunday after being ejected from a 25-foot homeland security boat belonged to a maritime safety and security team deployed to the Seattle area.

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This just goes to show that one may give his or her life for Country, even in training. This can be a risky business but the training is a must.

Dwayne

One killed (Hal W. Pulfer, 48, of Highland Park) - 50 saved in Maui whale watching sailboat accident

Looks like the mast had broken twice before. HONOLULU — The Coast Guard searched Monday for a sunken whale-watching catamaran whose mast broke off near Maui, killing one man and requiring the rescue of at least 50 tourists.

The crew from the 55-foot tour boat reported on the vessel's radio Sunday evening that the mast had snapped about two miles off Kahana Beach near Kaanapali. Witnesses said the boat was sinking and many passengers were already in the water when more boats arrived.

Maui news. Dwayne

Schooner Sullivan crew saves 3 fishermen off Florida coast

The crew of Wisconsin's flagship, the schooner Denis Sullivan, rescued three fishermen whose boat had sank in the Atlantic Ocean 11 miles off Islamorada, Fla., Coast Guard officials reported this afternoon.The Sullivan, which sails from the Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin on Milwaukee's Lakefront, was navigating from Miami to Key West with 19 high school students on board when the crew spotted distress flares from the sinking vessel about midnight.Scott Hooper, the Sullivan's First Mate, assisted two of the injured fishermen onto the Sullivan, while the third man worked his way onto the schooner's rescue ladder.All three were taken by Coast Guard craft to receive treatment in Islamorada.The three-masted schooner sustained a one-foot puncture to its hull when it struck the submerged fishing vessel, but remained afloat with the assistance of pumps delivered by Coast Guard boat and helicopter. The ship was making its way to Key West for repairs.

AUDIO: Phone interview with Hugh Covert, the captain of the Denis Sullivan, and Scott Hooper, the first mate

Coast Guard Press Release here.

This is a really nice ship.

Dwayne

Falls 60 Feet From Cruise Ship, Lives to Tell His Tale - Sometimes you Get Lucky

March 22, 2007 — By almost all accounts, Michael Menckmyer shouldn't be alive.

Last week, he plunged 60 feet from the balcony of his cruise ship. Alone in the ocean, he tread water for eight hours. Miraculously, he survived with only minor injuries. He told his story exclusively to "Good Morning America."

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Truth can be stranger than fiction.....

Dwayne

Jungle Adventures Nature Park Christmas Florida - Boat Accident - Fines

CHRISTMAS, Fla. -- A popular Central Florida tourist attraction faces fines after a tour boat filled with children and other riders began to take on water and sink in alligator-infested water, according to a report from FLORIDA TODAY news partner WKMG Local 6 News. -------------------------- This had the potential to be ugly. Dwayne

Nikkei Captain Awaits Sentencing in Seamen’s Manslaughter Case

On a stormy night in the fall of 2005, a 38-foot charter fishing boat, the Sydney Mae II, was hit with two breaker waves in the treacherous waters where Oregon’s Umpqua River runs into the Pacific Ocean. When the second wave descended on the boat, Captain Richard Oba, 58, and his four passengers were thrown into the icy Pacific. Some 45 minutes later, Coast Guard rescuers found Oba and passenger James Parker clinging to Oba’s life jacket.

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This is a story we have been following for some time.

Dwayne

Coast Guard finds man who jumped off ship

MIAMI - Coast Guard crews found a 24-year-old man Friday hours after he reportedly jumped from a cruise ship about 30 miles east of Fort Lauderdale.

West Boca boater swims all night for his life, prays for lost friends

Fighting for his life against the tide proved impossible, so Frank Yanac turned toward a beacon of light on shore and swam. His two friends were swimming behind him after a boating accident Saturday night in the Gulf of Mexico, but their voices grew dim as Yanac, 66, a former lifeguard, made it through patches of cold and warm water in the throes of exhaustion and onto the sand. ------------------------------- Dwayne

Body of missing boater found

The body of missing DeBary boater was found Sunday morning in Lake Monroe about a mile from where his boat was recovered.

Collins

Authorities discovered the body of Gregory Collins, who had not been wearing a life preserver, about 9 a.m. floating in the northwest section of the lake, said Kat Kelly, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Investigators will need to wait for an autopsy to determine the cause of death, but there were no signs of foul play, Kelly said. Collins is a diabetic, and did not take his medication Wednesday morning, his wife, Sue, told authorities.

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Dwayne

Airboat Accident / Death - No Criminal Charges to Be Filed

This was said: "Hathaway listed the factors as the dimensions of the airboat, unfamiliarity with the weight limitations of the boat, a lack of standard operating procedures, a lack of experience, the decision to fasten the backboard to the basket, a lack of time to assess the weight carried by the boat and the occurrence of an unexpected wake from a passing boat. "A violation of standards does not establish criminal liability," Hathaway said. "We're not here to assign fault. We're here to see if the event rises to the level of criminal negligence."" .... The question addressed by Hathaway and answered in his report was straightforward: Did Robert Drye, as the operator of the Cornish Rescue Squad airboat, negligently cause the death of Virginia Yates? In short, the answer is no. ---------------------------

Dwayne

No Hard Feelings after Whale Hits Boat - Ocean Sailors beware of gentle giants! - Ocean Survival - Books by Callahan and Robertson

AUSTRALIA: January 11, 2007

SYDNEY - A sailor whose yacht was destroyed by a humpback whale off New Zealand said he had got a good "vibe" from the giant mammal and thought it was trying to say sorry, local media said on Wednesday.

For practical pointers on how to survive such a meeting see these excellent books on ocean survival.

"Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea" and Adrift second link and Survive the Savage Sea and the Robertson website.

These books are classics and a must read for anyone who intends an ocean passage.

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Dwayne

Tug Valour Hearings Resumed in Search of Cause of Sinking

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Coast Guard has concluded it final public hearing this afternoon regarding the sinking of the tug Valour, a 125-foot tug that sank approximately 40-miles east of Wilmington, N.C. Jan. 18, 2006.

Coast Guard investigators recalled the crew of the Valour to testify one last time before the investigators submit their findings to Coast Guard District Seven Command in Miami and Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington for review. Facts collected at this final hearing will be developed into a conclusion to be presented in the Coast Guard's final investigative report.

Investigators focused their questioning for the six crewmen in three major areas: training, survival equipment and the procedures regarding ballast tanks. The Coast Guard called this hearing to clarify certain issues in each of these areas.

It was also released in the public hearing that the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center in Washington and engineers with Over Seas Shipholding Group, Inc., the owners of the tug Valour, believe that Valour couldn't have sank with out water being present in the engine room.

The mood throughout the hearing was very emotional as the crewmen recalled the chaotic events that unfolded that January night. The widows of Richard H. Smoot, 50, of Southpoint, Ohio, and Ronald L. Emory, 56, of Milford, Del., were in the hearing and wept as the crewmen testified about the deaths of their husbands.

The Coast Guard's investigation is intended to determine the causes of the accident and obtain information that may prevent or reduce the occurrence of similar incidents.

The owning company is still talking of bringing the Tug Valour up from the bottom.

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Dwayne

Five People Spend Night At Sea After Boat Capsizes

CBS4) MIAMI BEACH Coast Guard crews scrambled into action Sunday morning after a boat capsized, stranding five people in the water for over 15 hours. The accident Saturday evening near Fowey Rocks, about 5 miles south of Government Cut, when the five people on board the boat tried to raise the anchor, but several waves crashed over the bow and forced the vessel to capsize. -------------------------- These folks were really lucky. This could have been a disaster if not for the keen eye of the freighter Seaboard Florida and her captain and crew. Dwayne

Man injured at Kowaliga - Fishing Boat Collision

Man injured at Kowaliga Two fishing boats involved in accident

The Alabama Marine Police are investigating a two-boat accident that occurred at the Kowaliga boat pier on Lake Martin Thursday afternoon that left one man seriously injured.

Ethan Allen Update - Criminal Charges?

QUEENSBURY — Misdemeanor charges against a cruise line and the captain of a boat that capsized on Lake George, killing 20 elderly tourists, were unsealed Monday by a prosecutor who said current law did not support stiffer penalties.

Dwayne

Booze and Boats Don't Mix - Example of Aftermath - Grant Czuj and Judges Wrath

A Livingston County Circuit Court judge was unsympathetic toward a Hamburg Township man he sentenced to prison for a July 2005 fatal boating accident on Zukey Lake, saying he was not the victim, but the perpetrator.

Judge David Reader sentenced Grant William Czuj to a minimum of eight years, three months and a maximum of 15 years in prison for operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol causing the death of Michael John LaFave, of Brighton Town-ship, and causing a crippling injury to Sarah Ribas of Howell. See this also.

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This Judge wanted the defendant to take responsibility for his actions. He did not accept that Czuj was in any way a victim but was in the wrong. His sentence reflects this.

Dwayne

Skipper in fatal boat wreck tested for intoxicants - Kenneth Venard, of Newport died

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Authorities are awaiting the results of toxicology tests given to the skipper of a fishing boat that wrecked last week, killing one man.

An Oregon State Police spokesman said the same man was arrested in December for boating under the influence of intoxicants.

Kirk Opheim, of Burlington, Wash., was arrested Dec. 23 after a tipster told police he was drinking and piloting the Starrigavan.

Dwayne

Coast Guard Bomb Dog in Training

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Jan. 16, 2007)--Coast Guard Petty Officer Fred Leland and his black Labrador retriever, Asia, are lowered from a helicopter for the mock overtaking of a Catalina Express ferry near the Port of L.A. January 17, 2007. Asia was trained at Auburn University to sniff out explosives. She is one of two Coast Guard explosives detecting dogs dedicated to homeland security in the L.A. area. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Prentice Danner.

Use your BRAINS in Evaluating Boating Accident Risks

BRAINS is a tool that enables you to isolate the effect of a specific variable, or a group of variables, on the probability of having a specific type of boating accident (based on the relationships between variables in the Boating Accident Report Database (BARD), which is the universe of all reported accidents).

The Coast Guard does not know if variable relationships of non-reported accidents are similar to those reported in BARD. BRAINS also gives you the flexibility to make predictions using variable combinations that are not frequently occurring in BARD.

Dwayne

Grieving parents call for mercy

Roger Frechette is still grieving over the loss of his 2-year-old son. But he says that putting the man responsible for that death on trial -- and possibly in prison -- would only compound the tragedy. The man charged with driving a water scooter onto a Windermere boat dock and killing the boy was Frechette's best friend. Dwayne

Dobbs pleads guilty to misdemeanors in Harding boating accident

Derek William Dobbs, 21, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts, carrying a maximum sentence of nearly three years in jail, in connection with the boating accident that killed Hendersonville teenager Emily Harding in May 2005.

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Dwayne

Marco Island Boating Accident - Moulter Family

This was a terrible accident.  Cause to be determined.  The father, friends and family share the grief.

This article regarding the impact of the accident on boating in the area.

Dwayne

Lost At Sea, Sailor Calls Home For Help - Ken Barnes - Rescued by Ship

(AP) The calls have been steady, giving updates about a Southern California man adrift alone on his storm-battered sailboat off the tip of South America.

They haven't always come from law enforcement and other officials, though. Word of Ken Barnes' status has come from the stranded sailor himself, who has been able to ease his family's concerns by satellite phone as an intense search-and-rescue effort continues off the coast of Chile with hopes that help will reach him by Thursday evening.

Update on search for sailor.  His site www.kensolo.com

Second update on Barnes.

Another solo sailor Donna Lange at www.donnalange.com is looking for Barnes on the open ocean.

Ken Barnes has been rescued. Good to see a happy ending to this sea story!

Dwayne

 

Lake Havasu rated nation's 11th most dangerous waterway

Lake Havasu is the nation's 11th most dangerous waterway, according to figures released Friday through the state Department of Game & Fish.

The list, which was compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard, is based on a waterway's number of accidents. Fatalities do not factor in, said Kevin Bergersen, Arizona Game & Fish boating law administrator.

Dwayne