On August 24, the 40 foot long fishing vessel F.E.H. sustained damage on the Atlantic Ocean some 25 miles off Charleston, South Carolina. The F.E.H. had suffered water ingress and requested assistance. The Coast Guard dispatched a response boat from Charleston along with a helicopter from Savannah to assist. The Coast Guard delivered a dewatering pump and got the flooding under control. The response boat then took the F.E.H. under tow back to port. No reports of injuries to the 3 crew members on board the fishing vessel.
On August 8, the 18 meter long towboat Jacqueline A (MMSI: 367299940) sank 3 miles off North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The towboat was en route from Virginia to a shipyard in Harvey, Louisiana when it suffered water ingress. The three crew on board were unable to control the flooding and the Jacqueline A began to sink by the stern. The Jacqueline A requested assistance with the North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad responding. Local responders aided in rescuing all three crewmembers. No reports of injuries. Reports state the towboat sank in 30 feet of water.
Photo: North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad
On August 21, the Jacqueline A was raised and salvaged from the bottom. The vessel sustained significant damage that the cost of repairs was more than the value of the towboat. The vessel was declared a total loss. An investigation into the incident revealed that the vessel had multiple holes which allowed water to ingress through out the vessel. Many bulkheads were rendered useless by holes used for wire runs. The investigation stated the vessel was known to be in poor condition and should have had a more thorough inspection before proceeding on its voyage.
On her maiden voyage, the 174 foot long casino passenger ship Escapade ran aground off Tybee Island in the Calibogue Sound near Hilton Head, South Carolina. The Escapade’s crew reported to the Coast Guard that its chart plotter had suffered a malfunction before it ran onto the rocks. Passengers reported that they felt the vessel strike something, but were not notified of the grounding until several hours later. No reports of injuries to the 96 passengers and 27 crew on board. Passengers remained on board overnight and many had to be ferried back to land by coast guard vessels. A few passengers had to be airlifted off the Escapade who could not climb down the rope ladder. Attempts to pull the Escapade free failed as tow ropes broke. No reports of damage or pollution released.
