Maritime, Port Incidents Hit South Texas
Unrelated accidents recently struck the south Texas coastal region as a fishing vessel required a United States Coast Guard rescue when it began taking on water, a dredging vessel ran aground, and a broken pipeline resulted in a vegetable oil spill. The incidents, for which there are no reported personal injuries, highlight the variety of risks associated with routine maritime operations across the Gulf Coast.
The Coast Guard reported on January 21 that it was responding to a call from a fishing vessel in distress some 50 miles out to sea off Corpus Christi, Texas. The captain of the Ella Deonna, a 65-foot long-liner fishing vessel, radioed that the vessel was taking on water in its engine room.
The Coast Guard launched an Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65C Dolphin helicopter and crew, a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium and crew from Station Port Aransas, and the Coast Guard Cutter Amberjack to the scene. The helicopter arrived on-scene and delivered a dewatering pump to the Ella Deonna [video]. According to Dolphin pilot Lt. Rob Stotz, "The crew of this boat was proactive," and the "boat is still floating because they were prepared with patching equipment and the crew was knowledgable."
Separately, media reports indicate that several days later, on January 24, a dredging vessel ran aground near South Padre Island, Texas. The 305-foot cutter Texas, a suction dredge vessel, ran aground at a Brownsville-Santiago Pass jetty during difficult weather. The vessel, owned by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, suffered significant damage and was towed to Port Isabel for repairs. The crew apparently minimized the risk of environmental pollution by transferring fuel into undamaged onboard tanks. The dredge was in the area under contract with the Army Corps of Engineers as part of a project to improve the Brownsville Ship Channel and assist in renourishment of South Padre Island beaches. An investigating officer with Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi noted that the accident was being reviewed to determine if negligence was involved.
Most recently, a pipeline ruptured at the Port of Brownsville on January 25, leading to a release of vegetable oil into the Brownsville Ship Channel. The spill reportedly occurred when the oil was being transferred between containers at the TransMontaigne facility; the spilled oil then made its way down an abandoned pipe that ran beneath the channel, causing a leak into the water. Company personnel, port staff, Coast Guard personnel, and the Spill Response Team of the Texas General Land Office responded. Ultimately the spill was corralled by a containment boom. A cleanup contractor was retained, who set to work toward recovery of an estimated 150 barrels of the vegetable oil.
It's fortunate that, apparently, no person was injured during the recent incidents. All too often the hazards of employment in the maritime environment result in serious injuries to workers, leaving them unable to provide for themselves and their families.
If you have any questions regarding a maritime incident or have suffered a maritime injury, contact a maritime attorney online at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free consultation or call our maritime law office toll free at 866-2606.
