
Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival visitor, 97, rescued after fall into river
The 97-year-old man who was rescued had fallen about 6 feet from a deck into the river after losing his balance while using his walker, the Coast Guard Great Lakes District reported on social media.
He was taking part in ship tours at Escanaba Park at the time of the fall, which happened about 7 p.m.
Seaman Joseph Turk, who is a crew member with the Coast Guard Cutter Katmai Bay, immediately jumped into the water to assist the visitor. Turk helped keep the man afloat by treading water for over 20 minutes while crews worked from the deck to reach them with appropriate equipment and rescue the victim.
The man had injuries to his right hand and leg as a result of his fall, and was taken by EMS to Trinity Health Grand Haven Hospital for treatment.
Turk has been in the Coast Guard for less than a year, the report said.
The Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival started July 25 and continues through August 3, honoring the U.S. Coast Guard with a slate of activities that includes ship tours, parades, live music, fireworks, a car show and family activities. More than 350,000 people attend the event each year, the festival organizers said.
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11 hours ago
Coast Guard says rotten wood and poor inspections led to deadly schooner mast collapse
PORTLAND, Maine -- Rotten wood and poor inspections appear to have played roles in the collapse of the mast of a historic Maine schooner in an accident that killed one person and injured several others, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a report made public on Thursday. The Coast Guard launched a formal investigation after the main mast of the Grace Bailey splintered and fell onto the deck in October 2023 as the 1882-built schooner was returning from a four-day cruise. The report stated that 'deterioration went unnoticed and unaddressed' due to a lack of thorough inspections. It also said oversight and reporting about mast inspections and inspection processes were not adequately documented. 'Inspections were not adequately documented, and there were no formal expectations set for reporting inspection findings. This lack of oversight likely contributed to delayed or inadequate responses to emerging issues, allowing hazards to persist and escalate unchecked,' the report states. The collapse killed Rockland physician Dr. Emily Mecklenburg, 40, who was on board. The report states that 'it is not recommended that criminal prosecution be taken against any person or entity.' But the report faults not just the operators of the vessel but also the Coast Guard itself. It states that Coast Guard mast inspection procedures were 'insufficient for detecting rotted conditions in Grace Bailey's masts.' The owners of the vessel, the Grace Bailey Navigation Company of Rockland, said in a statement that the Grace Bailey crew 'continues to hold Emily closely in our hearts and minds.' The owners said they fully cooperated with the investigation and are they appreciate the focus on increasing safety for wooden sailing vessels. 'After a thorough overhaul of the Grace Bailey and passing a regular safety inspection by the Coast Guard, the Grace Bailey is back sailing, allowing our passengers to enjoy the beauty of Maine's coastline,' the statement said. The report includes nine recommendations for the Coast Guard to implement to try to prevent mast collapses in the future. The top recommendation states there should be broad collaboration with sailing industry organizations and others to identify wooden mast material characteristics and conditions that can contribute to decay. The Grace Bailey is one of a group of vessels commonly called the windjammer fleet, which provide excursions along the Maine coast. The vessel is 118 feet (36 meters) and can carry 29 passengers.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Coast Guard says rotten wood and poor inspections led to deadly schooner mast collapse
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Rotten wood and poor inspections appear to have played roles in the collapse of the mast of a historic Maine schooner in an accident that killed one person and injured several others, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a report made public on Thursday. The Coast Guard launched a formal investigation after the main mast of the Grace Bailey splintered and fell onto the deck in October 2023 as the 1882-built schooner was returning from a four-day cruise. The report stated that 'deterioration went unnoticed and unaddressed' due to a lack of thorough inspections. It also said oversight and reporting about mast inspections and inspection processes were not adequately documented. 'Inspections were not adequately documented, and there were no formal expectations set for reporting inspection findings. This lack of oversight likely contributed to delayed or inadequate responses to emerging issues, allowing hazards to persist and escalate unchecked,' the report states. The collapse killed Rockland physician Dr. Emily Mecklenburg, 40, who was on board. The report states that 'it is not recommended that criminal prosecution be taken against any person or entity.' But the report faults not just the operators of the vessel but also the Coast Guard itself. It states that Coast Guard mast inspection procedures were 'insufficient for detecting rotted conditions in Grace Bailey's masts.' The owners of the vessel, the Grace Bailey Navigation Company of Rockland, said in a statement that the Grace Bailey crew 'continues to hold Emily closely in our hearts and minds.' The owners said they fully cooperated with the investigation and are they appreciate the focus on increasing safety for wooden sailing vessels. 'After a thorough overhaul of the Grace Bailey and passing a regular safety inspection by the Coast Guard, the Grace Bailey is back sailing, allowing our passengers to enjoy the beauty of Maine's coastline,' the statement said. The report includes nine recommendations for the Coast Guard to implement to try to prevent mast collapses in the future. The top recommendation states there should be broad collaboration with sailing industry organizations and others to identify wooden mast material characteristics and conditions that can contribute to decay. The Grace Bailey is one of a group of vessels commonly called the windjammer fleet, which provide excursions along the Maine coast. The vessel is 118 feet (36 meters) and can carry 29 passengers.


Boston Globe
14 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Investigation clears owners of historic Maine schooner which suffered deadly mast collapse, killing passenger
They did not recommend any disciplinary action or criminal prosecution against the ship's operators or crew, according to the report. Advertisement The Grace Bailey set out on a four-day excursion from Rockland Harbor on Oct. 6, carrying 26 passengers and seven crewmembers, per the report. It was returning to port on the morning of Oct. 9 when passengers on deck reported hearing noises from the sailing vessel's rigging. Scanning the rigging, the crew noticed the mainmast starting to bend, per the report. As the captain ordered everyone on deck to get down, the mast collapsed to starboard, striking six passengers including Mecklenburg. Bleeding from the head, Mecklenburg began to lose consciousness. After receiving CPR, a Coast Guard crew arrived and took her ashore, where she was pronounced dead. The final report found that the mast collapse was caused by severe internal rot, rather than improper rigging or operational stress. The rot went undetected by numerous inspections, a lapse the report attributed to inadequate methods and procedural limitations. Advertisement As required by law, the Grace Bailey underwent regular inspections by Coast Guard surveyors, according to the report — including in May 2023, four months before the collapse. These inspections, however, were limited to visual reviews, conducted from deck level. The report noted that Coast Guard inspectors, by regulation, are restricted from climbing masts on third-party vessels without express authorization. From the deck, there were 'no obvious visual signs' to indicate anything seriously wrong with the mast to warrant further inspection, the report said. Investigators, however, later found that the rot had spread to several areas of both masts. While the rot was masked by a thin layer of 'seemingly sound' exterior wood, a closer inspection of the masts would likely have detected the rot with physical methods, the report said. The Grace Bailey's masts were replaced in 1993, and were temporarily removed, or unstepped, for further repairs in 2014. Federal regulations recommend that wood masts be unstepped for inspection every ten years, meaning the Grace Bailey was nearing its next recommended unstepping in 2024. In a memorandum attached to the report, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Wayne R. Arguin said the agency would review the minimum frequency for mast inspection, and explore new, non-invasive methods to test wooden masts for rot. The report also recommended that the Coast Guard consider 'appropriate recognition' for Grace Bailey passengers who provided emergency medical aid to Mecklenburg and the other injured passengers, as well as 'Good Samaritans' who arrived to help. Camilo Fonseca can be reached at