Two Rescued After Liftboat Catches Fire Off Louisiana

Courtesy USCG

Published Aug 12, 2024 8:37 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

[Brief] On Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard's Eighth District evacuated two people from an offshore lift boat about 40 nautical miles off the coast of Louisiana after the vessel experienced a fire. 

At about 2000 hours, District Eight received notice from the crew of the lift boat Brazos that there had been a fire onboard. The blaze was put out, and no pollution or further threat to the vessel were reported. However, two men needed a medevac for higher care. 

In response, the Coast Guard dispatched a Jayhawk helicopter aircrew. When they arrived on scene, the pilot hovered over the helipad of the adjacent offshore platform to hoist the men safely on board. The aircrew delivered them safely to the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Lafayette, Louisiana for further evaluation. 

Further details were not released, and the cause of the fire is under investigation. 

Brazos is a 145-foot liftboat built in 2013. It is built as a work platform, and can house up to 37 supernumeraries for the repair or construction of offshore platforms. 

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Six From Burning Fishing Vessel

Image courtesy USCG

Published Aug 12, 2024 6:06 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

On Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued six people from a burning trawler off the coast of New Hampshire, including a NOAA fishery observer who was along for the voyage. 

At about 2100 hours, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Northern New England received a distress call from the trawler Three Girls. The 81-foot vessel was on fire, and the crew was preparing to abandon ship. The personnel included five crewmembers and one fishery observer. 

The Coast Guard diverted the fast response cutter USCGC William Chadwick to the scene, along with a Jayhawk helicopter aircrew and a fixed-wing SAR aircraft. All of these assets arrived on scene at about 2230 hours, along with a good Samaritan fishing vessel, the Princess Laura. By the time they arrived, all six of the survivors from Three Girls were aboard their life raft. The crew of the William Chadwick retrieved them from the water using their launch, and the Jayhawk aircrew waited on standby in case more immediate assistance was needed. 

All of the survivors were safely aboard by 2330 hours, and no significant injuries were reported. By Monday morning, they were on shore again at a pier in South Portland. 

Three Girls (ex name Sammy Jo) was an 81-foot trawler built in 1979. Coast Guard records show that she had a valid COI and no major reported issues aboard, except for an engine failure caused by an improper vendor rebuild in 2022.