Tugboat Was Warned Before Collision

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The pilot of a tanker involved in an accident that spilled thousands of gallons of fuel into the Mississippi River repeatedly warned a tugboat to get out of the way before they collided, but no one responded, according to radio transmissions released on Saturday by the Coast Guard. The July 23 wreck shut down part of the nation’s busiest waterway for days. The recordings and radar from that day show that the tugboat, the Mel Oliver, which was pushing a barge carrying fuel, crossed in front of the tanker, the Tintamara. “Mel Oliver, come in cap, you’re crossing the bottom of a ship coming at you,” a Coast Guard traffic controller says on the recording. As the pilot of the tanker became increasingly distressed, he repeatedly called out to the Mel Oliver. Also on Saturday, the Coast Guard released the results of its preliminary investigation. It found that the person operating the Mel Oliver had an apprentice mate’s license and that no one aboard had the proper documentation to guide it. The captain and the steersman apprentice of the tug and the pilot of the tanker have been summoned to a hearing in New Orleans on Aug. 12.

Seamen infected with MRSA sue ship owners for $2 million Under Jones Act

GALVESTON - Two local seamen are suing a ship owner for $2 million for failing to inform them of an allegedly high presence of bacteria on the vessel. Orben Bounds and Shawn Owens were stricken with a staph infection while they working on the M/V Cheryl K between 2007 and 2008, court papers say. The personal injury suit against Cheryl K Inc. was filed in the Galveston County 212th District Court on July 25. "The M/V Cheryl K was inhabited with a virulent form of staph, called MRSA," the suit says, adding the medical problem does not have a cure and is potentially fatal.

Anniversary of "The Vessel of Death" - Also, Jury to be seated in Oct. 15, 2003 Staten Island Ferry Case

On a warm summer day much like this one 137 years ago today, more than 200 people boarded the Staten Island ferryboat Westfield at South Ferry in Manhattan. Many of them walked through to the bow of the ship, to enjoy the scenery and try to catch a cool breeze on the way to Staten Island.

Underneath the spot where they stood, just as the ship was about to leave its slip, the ship's boiler suddenly exploded, blowing a hole through the ship's wooden frame. The horrific destruction and severity of the injuries that killed more than 125 passengers and wounded dozens more created a scene described by the New York Times as "one of the most ghastly in human annals."

As an interesting historical footnote, among the injured passengers was Antonio Meucci, credited as being the "real" inventor of the telephone. As the story goes, Meucci was severely burned in the Westfield explosion, and as he was recovering from his injuries, his wife sold his original telephone prototype, along with models of other inventions, for $6, to ease the couple's dire financial situation. He was never able to afford a patent, and Alexander Graham Bell was subsequently credited with the telephone's invention. The Westfield explosion on July 30, 1871, still stands as the worst disaster in Staten Island Ferry history. Meanwhile, in a more recent ferry tragedy, jury selection is set to begin next week for personal injury suits against the city stemming from the deadly Staten Island Ferry crash of Oct. 15, 2003, which killed 11 passengers and maimed others.

Seaman claims poor lighting caused fall, files Jones Act suit

A seaman is claiming inadequate lighting caused him to fall and injure his back while serving aboard a ship off the Gulf Coast. Seeking $500,000 in damages, Gary Sheppard is suing Aramark Corp. and Noble Drilling Corp. He claims the companies' negligence caused him to trip and fall.Sheppard's lawsuit was filed under the Jones Act in U.S. District Court, Beaumont Division, on July 23.

Matson, Horizon in antitrust lawsuit

An antitrust class-action lawsuit filed in federal court claims Matson Navigation Co. and Horizon Lines Inc. conspired to fix their rate increases through fuel surcharges and at a much higher amount than the actual increase in the cost of the fuel.

Also, the Feds are investigating Crowley and Sea Star in an antitrust probe.

Coast Guard Dogs

Debbie Reynolds' Riverboat Back Afloat After Sinking

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Coast Guard announced it was able to get the riverboat belonging to actress Debbie Reynolds that sank near Green Cove Springs out of the water late Tuesday night.

Tanker collides with barge loaded with fuel oil; 419,000 gallons spilled

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard closed 29 miles of the Mississippi River at New Orleans after a 600-foot tanker and a barge loaded with fuel oil collided, breaking the barge in half. Nobody was injured, but more than 419,000 gallons of heavy fuel oil spilled from the barge, said Lt. Cdr. Cheri Ben-Iesau, a Coast Guard spokeswoman

After Quick Activation of Locating Device, Kauai Fishermen Saved by Coast Guard

All fishermen were reported to be wearing life jackets and are in good condition. The fishermen used a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) to send a distress signal. “Had they not had a PLB, we wouldn’t have gotten the notification until hours later when they would have failed to show up at home,” said Chief Petty Officer Seth Haynes, the Coast Guard District 14 search and rescue control chief.” We were able to respond in ten minutes rather than several hours.” The weather at the time was reported by the fishermen to the Coast Guard as strong, blustery tradewinds at 20 knots out of the north-northeast and seas of seven feet.

The use of this "personal locator beacon" probably saved their lives.

Dwayne

Felicia Bell Brookins - Shot At Crowley Maritime Talleyrand Terminal; Suspect Barricaded On Northside

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- As homicide detectives investigate the early-morning shooting of a woman in the parking lot at the Crowley Maritime terminal, near Jacksonville Port Authority's Talleyrand facilities, police said a man barricaded in a Northside home is a suspect in the shooting.

Udpate story.

Second Update.

Third Update.

Brookins has worked there about 15 years, Crowley spokeswoman Jenifer Kimble said. The business, which has about 70 employees, requires ID verification to enter past the parking lot. But Kimble said the shooter probably knew that and met Brookins as she arrived to start her work day.

Crews At Jaxport Move Pieces Of Massive Yacht

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Pieces of what will become a multimillion-dollar, mega yacht came through Jacksonville Port Authority on Wednesday. Crews meticulously moved four giant structures, which will become just a small section of the massive yacht.

Cynthia Woods Fatal Capsize

'Keels don't fall off boats. They should be built so they don't fall off.' In this seemingly innocent statement to the Houston Chronicle by the widow of the safety officer who died saving crew members of the Cape Fear yacht Cynthia Woods when it capsized during a race in the Gulf of Mexico, she has summed up the feelings of a growing number of sailors, both cruisers and racers.

Pilot files Jones Act suit for injury during boat transfer

The lawsuit was filed under the Jones Act, which among other things, allows injured sailors to obtain damages from their employers due to negligence caused by the ship owner, captain or fellow members of the crew.According to the plaintiff's original petition, Anderson was employed as a pilot with Sabine Pilots of Groves.

Jones Act suit filed against Kirby Inland Marine

Merchant mariner John R. McGee has filed a lawsuit against Kirby Inland Marine for injuries he received more than two years ago while working aboard one of the firm's ships.

Ghost ship wrecks Bali surfing contest

Mark Forbes in Denpasar July 16, 2008 AN ILLEGAL fishing ship whose captain is rumoured to have been murdered has thrown plans for the World Surfing Championship in Bali into chaos by running aground on the island's best surf break.Mystery surrounds the arrival of the Taiwanese vessel Ho Tsai Fa No. 18 off Padang Padang beach. Locals woke on Saturday to see the 30-metre-long vessel foundering on a reef, and reaped a barbecue bonanza by emptying its holds of tuna and shark.