Violation-Stricken Fishing Vessel Refloated In Oregon

Posted in Fishing Vessel Accidents on August 1, 2012

The 45-foot fishing vessel MICHELLE D has been pulled to safety after spending nearly 24 hours stuck in the mud at the mouth of the Skipanon River in Warrenton, OR.

The USCG monitored as the Michelle D was pulled to safety by the F/V Alexa B while taking advantage of the eight-foot high tide.

Thankfully, not one of the three-man crew had been injured because a Coast Guard inspection of the vessel revealed a number of violations including inoperable navigation lights on the port side, an expired EPIRB and a lack of proper required onboard documentation, which could have lead to a liability nightmare.

After refloating, the vessel was towed to Warrenton Marina by the Alexa B and boarded by the Coast Guard. The official cause of the grounding has not been determined, though the Michelle D crew has sited problems with the vessel’s steering components, the USCG says.