Workers had little warning as Maryland bridge collapsed, raising concerns over safety, communication
In the moments before the cargo ship Dali rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge and sent it crumbling into the water, a flurry of urgent warnings crackled over radios and enabled police to block traffic from getting on the span, likely saving lives.
US and Philippines condemn the Chinese coast guard's water cannon blasts on fisheries vessels
The Philippines and its treaty ally, the United States, have separately condemned a high-seas assault by the Chinese coast guard and suspected militia ships that repeatedly blasted water cannons to block three Philippine fisheries vessels from a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.
More presumed human remains recovered from submersible that imploded, killing 5, Coast Guard says
The Coast Guard says it has recovered remaining debris, including presumed human remains, from a submersible that imploded in June on its way to explore the wreck of the Titanic, killing all five onboard.
US, Japan and Australia plan joint navy drills in disputed South China Sea, Philippine officials say
Two Philippine security officials said that the United States, Japan and Australia are planning a joint navy drill this week in the South China Sea off the western Philippines after a recent show of Chinese aggression in the disputed waters.
China coast guard uses water cannon against Philippine boats
The Philippines says Chinese coast guard ships have blocked and sprayed a powerful stream of water at two of its ships carrying supplies to troops at a disputed South China Sea shoal, prompting Manila to warn Beijing that the vessels are covered by a mutual defense treaty with the United States.
Mecklenburg Electric still reconnecting customers in Southside Virginia
GRETNA, Va. โ The storm clouds are long gone from Southside Virginia, but crews are still cleaning up the damage the freezing rain left behind. Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative estimates up to two-thirds of its customers in Halifax and Pittsylvania County were without power at some point after this past weekendโs ice storm. โIโve been here for more than 30 years, but weโve seen more damage from this storm than most of us here can remember,โ said Mecklenburg Electric Cooperativeโs David Lipscomb. AdLipscomb said the ice made it especially challenging to repair power lines, and heโs grateful Thursdayโs ice storm did not cause more complications. โThursdayโs storm had the potential to make us have to start all over again.โLipscomb believes Mecklenburg Electric will have all of its customers reconnected by the end of the weekend.
Captain pleads not guilty to manslaughter in boat fire
The captain of a scuba diving boat that burned and sank off the California coast, killing 34 people below deck, has pleaded not guilty to federal manslaughter charges. Jerry Boylan surrendered Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, and was arraigned in Los Angeles federal court on 34 counts of seaman's manslaughter. (Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP, File)LOS ANGELES โ The captain of a scuba diving boat that burned and sank off the California coast, killing 34 people, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to manslaughter charges. Jerry Boylan was arraigned in federal court in Los Angeles on 34 counts of seamanโs manslaughter. Truth Aquatics has sued in federal court under a provision in maritime law to avoid payouts to the families of the victims.
Investigators: Watchman could have saved lives in California boat fire
The NTSB also faulted the Coast Guard for not enforcing that requirement and recommended it develop a program to ensure boats with overnight passengers actually have the watchman. Last yearโs tragedy during a Labor Day weekend scuba diving excursion near Santa Cruz Island off Santa Barbara prompted criminal and safety investigations. Before the disaster, Boylan and Truth Aquatics enjoyed a good reputation with customers and the Santa Barbara boating community. Attorneys for Boylan and Truth Aquatics did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The families of 32 victims have filed claims against the boat owners, Glen and Dana Fritzler, and Truth Aquatics.
Marine general has COVID after Pentagon meeting
Ray attended the Joint Chiefs meeting Friday in the so-called Tank โ the classified meeting room in the Pentagon. Officials said that is where most of the military leaders were exposed to him, but he also had other meetings with officials. The Marine Corps remains operationally ready to answer the Nationโs call.โThe news of the positive tests has stunned officials at the Pentagon. Overall, more than 47,000 service members have tested positive for the virus, as of Monday; 625 have been hospitalized and eight have died. According to officials, the military leaders were negative at that time, and they will continue to be tested in the coming days.
Military leaders quarantined after official tests positive
The nation's top military leaders were under self-quarantine Tuesday, Oct. 6, after a senior Coast Guard official tested positive for the coronavirus, the Pentagon said. (Michael Reynolds/Pool via AP, File)WASHINGTON โ The nation's top military leaders were under self-quarantine Tuesday after a senior Coast Guard official tested positive for the coronavirus, the Pentagon said. Officials said that is where most of the military leaders were exposed to him, but he also had other meetings with officials. According to officials, the military leaders were negative at that time, and they will continue to be tested in the coming days. Some stayed home after having been exposed to the virus and other military leaders have self-quarantined for a short time after returning from travel.
Two-year-oldโs love of snail mail sparks nationwide letter exchange
A Coast Guard family, originally from Rich Creek and now stationed in Florida, is melting hearts across America with handmade cards from their two-year-old daughter. To brighten up these darker days, Courtney Hainen and her daughter Athena frequently crowd the kitchen table to craft cards to send to others. โSo being home more meant that we needed to come up with a few more things to do,โ Hainen said. โBecause we couldnโt just up and go to the park.โThe idea came after Athena celebrated her second birthday. Hainen said anyone can feel free to share the idea on social media.
Coast Guard captures 'narco sub' carrying $165M in cocaine
(CNN) - The Coast Guard cutter Valiant seized a 'narco sub' carrying 12,000 pounds of cocaine worth over $165 million, according to a news release. Members of the Valiant's crew intercepted the boat with the assistance of Colombian naval assets, took control of it and apprehended four smugglers. The Coast Guard offloaded over 1,000 pounds of cocaine but had to leave the rest due to the questionable stability of the vessel. "There are no words to describe the feeling the Valiant crew is experiencing right now," said Cmdr. Within the last week, the Southeast Coast Guard has reported seizing over 13,000 pounds of cocaine from smugglers.
NSTB: Dive boat didn't have roving crew member on watch
The 75-foot commercial diving boat, called the Conception, caught fire Labor Day off the coast of Santa Cruz Island in Southern California. "A crewmember sleeping in the wheelhouse berths was awakened by a noise and got up to investigate," the report says. The report came as experts are giving alarming safety assessments of small passenger and recreational vessels like Conception. The Coast Guard said because the Conception accident is still under investigation, it cannot comment on potential changes to regulations. "The National Transportation Safety Board and the Coast Guard will conduct thorough and detailed investigations to determine potential casual factors associated with this tragedy."
Last missing victim from California dive boat fire has been located
The 75-foot commercial diving boat, called the Conception, caught fire Labor Day off the coast of Santa Cruz Island in Southern California. (CNN) - The last missing victim of the Conception dive boat fire in California was located Wednesday, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said. "The Conception Incident Unified Command is relieved to report that search and recovery efforts today were successful in locating the last missing victim," a tweet from the sheriff's office said. The 75-foot dive boat sank off the Southern California coast on Labor Day following a fire that claimed the lives of 34 people on board. Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire aboard the dive boat, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said this week, noting the boat has not even been brought to the surface.
Hundreds of Bahamians told to get off ferry headed to US
NASSAU, Bahamas - Hurricane Dorian may have long since left the Bahamas, but the islands have only begun to grapple with the grim aftermath. Hundreds are still missing, nearly 70,000 have been left homeless by the disaster and hundreds more are desperately looking for a way out. Entin told CNN he was on a Balearia ferry from Freeport to Fort Lauderdale when the announcement was made Sunday. One woman told Entin that as many as 130 people left the ferry after the announcement. The public should prepare for "unimaginable information about the death toll and the human suffering," Health Minister Duane Sands told Guardian Radio 96.9 FM.
US flag still flying at former Coast Guard station after Dorian
The American flag flying on a former Coast Guard light station off the coast of North Carolina has made it through Hurricane Dorian. (CNN) - The American flag flying on a former Coast Guard light station off the coast of North Carolina has made it through Hurricane Dorian. Live video from the Frying Pan Tower shows that the flag is torn but is still fluttering proudly. The tower is 34 miles off the coast of North Carolina and Hurricane Dorian passed over the area before making landfall on Friday at Cape Hatteras. At one point, about 20 Coast Guard cadets lived on the tower, but it was automated in 1979 and GPS navigation has since made it obsolete.
Light station sits in Hurricane Dorian's path, 34 miles off N.C. coast
A former Coast Guard light station off the coast of North Carolina is offering a unique view of Hurricane Dorian's power as the storm moves slowly northeast. SOUTHPORT, N.C. - A former Coast Guard light station off the coast of North Carolina is offering a unique view of Hurricane Dorian's power as the storm moves slowly northeast. The Frying Pan Tower, 34 miles offshore in the Atlantic, is right in the storm's path. Track Hurricane DorianA camera on the tower's helipad, some 85 feet above the ocean, is sending live video as the storm approaches. For years, about 20 Coast Guard cadets lived on the station full time.
Captain of Conception's sister ship stands up for colleagues
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The captain of the sister ship to the one that caught fire off the coast of Santa Barbara, killing at least 25, is sticking up for its crew. Ian Higgins is the captain of the Vision, a sister ship nearly identical to the Conception, which caught fire near Santa Cruz island Monday morning. "That vessel is inspected by the Coast Guard annually and also every five years for a more complete inspection," said Higgins, who works for Truth Aquatics. RELATED: 20 bodies recovered from boat fire off coast of Southern California, officials sayRecords show the Conception had no issues after a Coast Guard inspection in February. He said passengers are given safety briefings the morning after they get on the ship.
Report: 4 bodies found near dive boat that caught fire
(CNN) - The U.S. Coast Guard said four bodies have been recovered near a dive boat that caught fire off the California coast, The Associated Press reported Monday. Rescuers were able to save the five crew members, who were awake in the main cabin and jumped off of the boat, Coast Guard Capt. The passengers were below deck in the berthing area that's primarily used for sleeping, the Coast Guard's Aaron Bemis told CNN. Good Samaritans rescued the crew members and took them aboard, the Coast Guard said. The boat is about 20 miles off the mainland coast, near Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands National Park.
Search ramps up for firefighters missing off Florida coast
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Florida fire official says his department is ramping up its search for two firefighters who've been missing since going boating in the Atlantic Ocean last week. The U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies have been searching a wide area of ocean between Cape Canaveral and Jacksonville. The Coast Guard said when they arrived to the search area, the debris found was not related to the boaters. Following the discovery of McCluney's tackle bag by a Good Samaritan, the Coast Guard said it will be focusing on the area where that bag was found. Anyone with information is asked to contact the United States Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville Command Center at 904-714-7558.
Six people rescued by Coast Guard off Diamond Head in Hawaii
The Coast Guard, Honolulu Fire Department, and Ocean Safety Lifeguard Services rescued six paddlers aboard a sinking canoe off Diamond Head. HONOLULU, Hawaii - The Coast Guard, Honolulu Fire Department, and Ocean Safety Lifeguard Services rescued six paddlers aboard a sinking canoe off Diamond Head. At 11:40 a.m., Sector Honolulu watchstanders received a call from the Honolulu Fire Department stating canoe paddlers reported their vessel taking on water one mile off Black Point near Diamond Head. Sector Honolulu watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast Notice to Mariners to keep a sharp lookout for signs of distress and launched the RB-M crew to respond. Honolulu Fire Department and Ocean Safety deployed crews aboard a fireboat, Hawaii Fire Department Air 1 helicopter, and a Jetski to assist.
2 firefighters disappear on Florida fishing trip
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - Authorities say they have searched almost 5,000 square miles of ocean for two firefighters who disappeared after setting out from Port Canaveral, Florida, on a fishing trip. Their destination was 8A Reef, an offshore fishing spot, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard, along with multiple local and county agencies, started searching by boat and air on Friday night. "I hoped that by daylight it would bring us something," McCluney's wife, Stephanie, told CNN affiliate WFTV on Saturday. As the search continues, the Coast Guard is asking for anyone with information to call 904-714-7558.
Coast Guard nabs $350 million in cocaine
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(CNN) - The Coast Guard seized 26,000 pounds of cocaine worth $350 million in several operations in the eastern Pacific Ocean, including one involving a high-speed chase at sea with suspected drug smugglers. In one of the hauls, footage released by the Coast Guard showed suspected drug smugglers tossing out containers of cocaine overboard as their boat sped through the water on July 18. "The crewmembers apprehended the suspected smugglers and seized approximately 2,300 pounds of cocaine from the vessel," the Coast Guard said in a statement Friday. The total amount of contraband came from six suspected drug smuggling vessel operations along with the discovery of floating cocaine bales between late June and mid-July, the Coast Guard said. It unloaded all the seized cocaine Friday.
Woman, dogs rescued after night below Lake Michigan bluff
A Coast Guard helicopter was used to rescue a woman and a dog from the bottom of a sandy bluff near Lake Michigan in northern Michigan. LAKE MICHIGAN (WNEM) - A Coast Guard helicopter was used to rescue a woman and a dog from the bottom of a sandy bluff near Lake Michigan in northern Michigan. The Coast Guard says the woman, her husband and three dogs spent Thursday night at the bottom of the bluff, near Ludington, after they couldn't climb up the loose soil and sand. The Coast Guard sent two helicopters, one from Muskegon and another from Traverse City. One helicopter was used to airlift the woman and a dog around 12:45 p.m.A local team from the fire department rescued the other two dogs.
*Copy posted* Coast Guard rescues 12 people from Terrebonne Parish island
Click here for updates on this storyISLE DE JEAN CHARLES, LA (WGNO) -- The Coast Guard has rescued a dozen people from the Isle de Jean Charles as Tropical Storm Barry nears land. The tiny island in Terrebonne Parish was inundated by storm surge from the slowly churning storm. Two Coast Guard helicopters responded to the rescue call, the first airlifting four people, and the second rescuing eight. The narrow strip of land was once 12 miles long and five miles wide. But its been washing away with the rising sea level, and now the island is less than two miles long and just a quarter-mile wide.
Coast Guard rescues 12 people from Terrebonne Parish island
CNN image(WGNO) - ISLE DE JEAN CHARLES, LA (WGNO) -- The Coast Guard has rescued a dozen people from the Isle de Jean Charles as Tropical Storm Barry nears land. The tiny island in Terrebonne Parish was inundated by storm surge from the slowly churning storm. Two Coast Guard helicopters responded to the rescue call, the first airlifting four people, and the second rescuing eight. The narrow strip of land was once 12 miles long and five miles wide. But it's been washing away with the rising sea level, and now the island is less than two miles long and just a quarter-mile wide.