On August 15, the 80 foot long fishing vessel Lady Gertrude sank off Sandy Hook, New Jersey. The Lady Gertrude was fishing for scallops when the vessel sprung a leak. The crew were unable to stop the flooding and were forced to abandon the Lady Gertrude into the vessel’s life raft. The nearby fishing vessel Mazey James came to their aid and rescued all three crew. No reports of injuries. Reports state the Lady Gertrude later sank and rests in 130 feet of water. The Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the incident.
Lite Ferry 8
The 72 meter long, 1680 dwt ro-ro passenger ferry Lite Ferry 8 ran aground in Cebu City, Philippines. The ferry was headed for Cagayan de Oro City with 41 passengers when it stranded during low tide. The Philippine Coast Guard was alerted and the voyage was cancelled. The 41 passengers were safely transferred back ashore by two tugboats. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released. The Lite Ferry 8 was refloated on the following high tide and returned to the pier to be inspected for damage.
Lady Anna
On July 21, the 24 meter long fishing vessel Lady Anna caught fire off Honolulu Harbor, Oahu. The crew was alerted as dense black smoke appeared from the engine room. The blaze was caused by a short circuit with the diesel generator and quickly engulfed the longliner. The eight crew were able to abandon ship to another nearby fishing vessel Saphire III while firefighting vessels arrived on scene. No reports of injuries. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze a short time later. The Lady Anna sustained significant damage, but remained seaworthy and was towed back to port.


