Three presumed dead after shrimp boat sinks near Everett
Four people were plunged into the water in Possession Sound shortly after 1 p.m. after their boat started taking on water.
After searching for hours, Everett Fire deemed it a recovery mission late Wednesday night, meaning they fear the people did not survive.
Everett Fire says the boat sank northeast of Mukilteo, about 200 feet offshore.
One man in his 50s was rescued by a good Samaritan passing by, he is reportedly uninjured. The three people missing include a man in his 20s, a man in his 60s, and a woman in her 40s.
The Coast Guard says two separate boat crews from Seattle, a crew aboard an 87-foot patrol boat, and an aircrew from Port Angeles searched 130 square miles using visual scanning and infrared cameras and didn't find anything.
The Coast Guard called off their efforts around 10:30 Wednesday night.
There is no word on what caused the boat to take on water.
Everett police has taken over the investigation.
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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Coastguard releases statement after four bodies found below cliffs in four days
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Miami Herald
9 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Coast Guard loopholes could be linked to barge crash, maritime experts say
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When barges are used to transport equipment in construction work — and the tugboat pushing the barge is under 26 feet — they don't require a licensed captain, commricial maritime experts say. The barge in Monday's crash was transporting a crane and other construction materials; the large crane could have obstructed the tugboat operator's view from the pilot house. A review of photographs taken by Herald photojournalists and analysis by two AI tools estimate the tugboat is under 26 feet. The Coast Guard declined to confirm the tugboat's length when reached Friday afternoon. READ MORE: Two girls dead, two others critical after barge hits sailboat in Biscayne Bay: Coast Guard 'Companies try to take advantage of these rules,' said the retired tugboat and barge captain, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the crash. 'The Coast Guard has to reevaluate [the regulations] to avoid a tragedy like this from happening again.' The barge also should have had a lookout on board, according to Coast Guard Navigational Rules. 'Rule 5: Look-out: 'Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision,' the Coast Guard rules say. It's unclear whether the barge had a dedicated lookout person. In the minutes leading up to the crash, eyewitnesses interviewed by the Herald said they saw a barge crewman warning the tugboat operator only at the last moment. 'There should have been a proper lookout and a proper speed maintained to not get close enough where you'd have take evasive action like that,' said Brett Rivkind, a longtime Miami maritime personal injury attorney. Coast Guard rules also call for boat operators to use horns to signal they are coming. 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'We understand the public's desire for answers, and we ask for patience as the formal investigation proceeds,' Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Strasburg said Friday. Shortly after 11 a.m. Monday, a 60-foot barge pushed by a tugboat operator slammed into a 17-foot Hobie Getaway filled with five summer campers and a camp counselor from the Miami Yacht Club, a nearly 100-year-old club on Watson Island that teaches children how to sail. READ MORE: 'Not some boujee yacht club.' Miami Yacht Club has mission of teaching kids to sail Mila Yankelevich, 7, and Erin Victoria Ko Han, 13, were killed in the aftermath of the collision, which occurred between Hibiscus and Monument islands in Biscayne Bay off Miami Beach. Two other girls - ages 8 and 11 - were rushed to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition. A 12-year-old girl and the 19-year-old female camp counselor were treated at the scene. READ MORE: 'Heartbroken beyond words.' Family of girl killed in sailboat crash speaks out The barge ran over the sailboat, officials said. The five girls and the counselor were wearing life jackets, the Coast Guard said Tuesday in a news conference. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office concluded Mila and Erin accidentally drowned. The Coast Guard, which is leading the investigation into the crash, has yet to publicly identify the victims or indicate the girls' conditions at Jackson. The tugboat operator and another person on the barge were not under the influence of drugs or alcohol after the Coast Guard conducted a blood-draw sobriety test, the agency said. The blood-alcohol test results of the camp counselor came back negative as well, the Coast Guard said. READ MORE: Captain who crashed barge into sailboat in Miami Beach not impaired: officials The Coast Guard has not released the names of the tugboat operator, the barge crew or the company that owns the barge or the tugboat. 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Before the collision, the counselor and girls on the Hobie were yelling and waving for the barge to stop, witnesses told the Herald. The three roofers working at the home on Hibiscus Island also were yelling to get the barge to stop. 'We were screaming and screaming, but we were just too far — he wasn't going to hear us,' William Cruz, one of the roofers, told the Herald Tuesday. 'They were headed straight for the children and by the time the man realized, the barge was already right on top of them.' READ MORE: 'We were screaming and screaming.' Witnesses watch as barge hits sailboat of campers The operator likely couldn't hear from inside the pilot house atop the towboat, the captain said. But the person looking out should have immediately informed the operator about the girls and witnesses frantically pleading with the vessel to stop. 'If they had time to warn, then [the barge operator] had time to change direction,' he said. The captain emphasized that this crash is not about which vessel had the right of way and compared the incident to defensive driving on roadways. 'The operator had a duty to avoid a collision... All mariners must avoid a collision regardless of who has right of way,' the retired captain told the Herald. 'It's sad, tragic for the kids and their parents. It now falls on the Coast Guard to change and enforce these regulations.' For Stuart Ratzan, a Miami civil attorney of more than three decades, Monday's crash is part of a larger problem on South Florida's waterways. Florida has had a surge in boating activity since the pandemic, leading to several high-profile fatal boat crashes in recent years, said Ratzan. South Florida's waterways — especially Biscayne Bay — have become increasingly congested. Florida has more registered vessels than any other state in the country, topping 1 million, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's 2024 annual report. Commercial vessel operators, Ratzan said, must take precautions to guard the safety of recreational boaters, particularly children. 'It's outrageous that a commercial vessel pushed by a tugboat was operating in an area where children are sailing,' Ratzan said. 'This is basic negligence. At the end of the day, ...they had an obligation to the children.' Miami Herald staff writer David Goodhue and Miami Herald writer CD Goette-Luciak contributed to this report.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Whitby Coastguard speak out on four deaths in emotional statement - read it in full
Volunteers who have been faced with four tragic deaths in less than a week in Whitby have said their hearts are with the families of those lost. Whitby Coastguard has been at the centre of the recovery of the bodies at the bottom of cliffs in and nearby Whitby over the past three days. The bodies of a man and a woman, understood to be in their 40s, were recovered from the beach on Wednesday, July 30. A day later, the body of a woman, who was in her 60s, was recovered from the beach, close to the Pavillion. Her injuries were consistent with a cliff fall. And yesterday, the body of another woman, who was in her 50s, was found by the car park in Sandsend, just along the coast from Whitby. READ MORE: Fourth body found on beach near Whitby in three days - full police statement READ MORE: Whitby deaths LIVE as four bodies found in beach tragedy - everything we know Follow live updates on the deaths in Whitby here The Coastguard, made up of dedicated volunteers, has now issued a statement on the tragedy. In it, they said they are supporting each other and remain "ready to serve" the local community. A spokesperson said: "As many of our local followers will be aware, Over the past few days, Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team has been called to several deeply tragic incidents in our local area. "Despite the very best efforts of all involved, sadly, not every outcome can be changed. Our heartfelt thoughts are with the families and loved ones affected — we hope they find strength, comfort, and support in the days ahead. "We'd like to extend our sincere thanks to our partner agencies who responded alongside us, and to every one of our Coastguard Rescue Officers who attended. These kinds of incidents are never easy, but they highlight the strength, professionalism, and compassion of our volunteers. Get all the latest and breaking news in Yorkshire by signing up to our newsletter here. "As a team, we support each other through the difficult days as well as the routine ones — and we remain here 24/7, ready to serve our coastline and community with care and commitment. "Remember, if you see anything that suggests someone may be in trouble at the coast- be it physically or mental health related, please do not hesitate to call 999 and ask for Coastguard. You are never wasting our time or resources, we are here to help." If you see someone in trouble or something you feel isn't right, call 999. North Yorkshire Police are investigating all four deaths, but stress they are not linked and are not being treated as suspicious.
