The Sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald 48 Years Ago — the Unsolved Mystery

SS Edmund Fitzgerald, an American Great Lakes ore carrier, sank 48 years ago today, on November 10, 1975, in a storm on Lake Superior. The crew of 29 was lost when the freighter, loaded with 26,000 tons of iron ore pellets, … Continue reading

Update: Deadly Conception Dive Boat Fire, Where 34 Died, Started in Trash Can According to AFT

The LA Times reports that the deadly fire that broke out four years ago aboard the Conception dive boat, killing 34 people, started in a plastic trash can on the main deck, a confidential report reviewed by The Times shows. Investigators … Continue reading

The Sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, an Unsolved Mystery

SS Edmund Fitzgerald, an American Great Lakes ore carrier, sank 47 years ago today, on November 10, 1975, in a storm on Lake Superior. The crew of 29 was lost when the freighter, loaded with 26,000 tons of iron ore pellets, … Continue reading

LA Times: Coast Guard Rejected Calls for Stricter Safety Rules Prior to Deadly Dive Boat Fire

The dive boat Conception was a death trap.  It was a wooden vessel with a single narrow and steep stairway from the lower berthing deck and a small emergency exit hatch. When a fire broke out on September 2, 34 … Continue reading

Voyage Data Recorder from El Faro Recovered from 15,000′

A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) press release announced today that the voyage data recorder (VDR) from El Faro, the US flagged cargo ship that sank during Hurricane Joaquin in October 2015 with the loss of all 33 aboard, was successfully recovered … Continue reading

Carnival Triumph Update: Coast Guard Says Fuel Line Leak Started Disabling Fire

In an announcement that raises as many questions as it answers, U.S. Coast Guard marine casualty investigation team leader, Lt. Cmdr. Teresa Hatfield, said in a conference call with reporters that the fuel oil return line in the No. 6 … Continue reading

Update: Plea Bargain in Delaware Duck Boat/Barge Collision

Last July, a barge pushed by the tug Caribbean Sea struck a disabled tourist “duck boat” at anchor in the Delaware River.   Two tourists drowned in the collision.  A report by the National Transportation Safety Board said the tug’s mate Matthew Devlin was on his … Continue reading

Update: Deadly Distraction Led to Duck Boat Deaths

Not quite a year ago, a tourist amphibious “duck boat” was run down on the Delaware River  by barge on the hip of  the tug boat, Caribbean Sea.  Two passengers died in the collision.   The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued … Continue reading

Tug Caribbean Sea Never Responded to Duck Boat in Fatal Collision

On July 7th, we posted about a collision between a barge towed by the tug Caribbean Sea and a disabled “Duck boat” DUKW 34 at anchor in the Delaware River off Philadelphia.  Two of the 35 passengers on the duck … Continue reading