U.S. Coast Guard Works to Refloat Supply Vessel Grounded Off Coast of San Jose Island, Texas

Posted in Texas Maritime News,US Coast Guard (USCG) on March 5, 2013

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In a news release on the U.S. Coast Guard website, posted March 4, the Coast Guard reported that they were working with local agencies and International Offshore Services to refloat an oil rig platform supply vessel after it ran aground on San Jose Island, Monday, with four people aboard.

U.S. Coast Guard photo shows an oil rig platform supply vessel grounded off the coast of San Jose Island, Texas on March 4, 2013. No injuries, damage or pollution were reported at the time.

According to the report, a crewmember aboard the vessel had contacted Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders to report the incident and to request assistance. No injuries, damage or pollution were reported, but the captain estimated that the vessel had 8,000 gallons of fuel and 110 gallons of lube oil on board.

Coast Guard crews were launched aboard a 45-foot response boat from Station Port Aransas and a HU-25 Falcon jet and MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Corpus Christi to assist and evaluate the situation.

“The safety of mariners at sea and maintaining stewardship of the marine environment are critical issues we must consider when attempting any operation,” said Cmdr. Daniel Deptula, chief of the Sector Corpus Christi response department. “We’re working closely with state and local agencies to formulate a plan that would refloat the vessel in the safest and most intelligent way, without causing undue stress on the surrounding environment.”

Blog post by Houston maritime lawyer, Gordon, Elias & Seely.