Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: Dec. 31, 2009

Contact: 
U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs
(314) 825-2199

Coast Guard rescues pair from grounded fishing boat

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard rescued two men off their fishing boat Thursday after it ran aground in Piquant Bayou.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a call at approximately 5:30 p.m. from the Terrebone Parish Sheriff's Department water unit that a 16-foot bass boat with two men on board, ages 56 and 66, had run aground in Piquant Bayou south of Houma, La., and was disabled. Extremely low water levels prohibited rescue by boat. 

Sector New Orleans launched an MH-65C rescue helicopter and crew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, which arrived at approximately 6:30 p.m.  Both men were safely hoisted into the helicopter and transported them to the Houma Airport, where they were met by family members.  The men are reported to be in good condition.

"The marine environment is inherently dangerous," said Lt. Beau Powers, Sector New Orleans Command Center duty officer. "It is imperative to know your limitations when operating on the water.  Have a well thought  out float plan and make sure you communicate that plan to family or friends in order to render the best possible assistance if the need arises."

The Coast Guard reminds boaters to always wear a life jacket and have a marine radio on hand.

###

Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: Dec. 2, 2009

Contact:  Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephen Lehmann
U.S. Coast Guard External Affairs
(504) 671-2020

Coast Guard medevacs man suffering with chest pain

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard medevaced a man suffering with chest pain from a vessel in Lake Fortuna, La., Wednesday.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received the initial call at approximately 9 p.m. Wednesday from the wife of the man, reporting that her husband was experiencing chest pains while on his boat and was in need of assistance.  Sector New Orleans launched an MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station New Orleans to assist. 

The man was medevaced to West Jefferson Medical Center.

The condition of the man is unknown. 

###

Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: Nov. 2, 2009

Contact:  O'Brien's Response Management
(985) 781-0804                                     

Contact:  Lt. Stephen Nutting, U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans 
(504) 846-5922

UPDATE: Freight ship hole patched, oil spill stopped

NEW ORLEANS — Divers patched a hole in the motor vessel Pac Alkaid Sunday, preventing further spillage of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and enabling the freight ship to successfully transit up the Mississippi River to a shipyard in New Orleans.

 The initial discharge of an estimated 12,000 gallons of bunker oil was caused by a hole in the Pac Alkaid's hull which was approximately five centimeters in diameter and five feet below the waterline. At 2 a.m. Friday while the Pac Alkaid was anchored five miles southeast of Southwest Pass, the vessel's captain notified the Coast Guard that the ship was leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico. 

O'Brien's Response Management hired divers who patched the hole on Sunday afternoon. The Pac Alkaid then transited up the Mississippi River and arrived at the Perry Street Wharf in New Orleans at 9:30 p.m. Sunday, where it is scheduled to undergo permanent repairs. During its transit, the Pac Alkaid was escorted by the NRC Energy, a response vessel owned by the National Response Corporation, which is 100 feet in length and capable of recovering oil from the water.

 The Coast Guard and O'Brien's Response Management, a private response organization hired by the owners of the Pac Alkaid, formed a Unified Command and worked together to manage the spill response. During the response, the Coast Guard and O'Brien's group conducted a total of seven overflights with helicopters and airplanes from Friday through Sunday to assess the spill . O'Brien's Response Management hired the response vessel Louisiana Responder, a 220-foot vessel owned by the Marine Spill Recovery Corporation, to clean up the spill. The Louisiana Responder's efforts to recover oil were prevented by three-to-five foot waves and a lack of concentrated oil.

On Friday morning, winds and currents pushed the oil to the northwest, which caused a sheen to wash up against the rocks of the Southwest Pass jetty. Winds and currents pushed the oil towards the southeast, away from the coast on Saturday and Sunday. There have been no reports that the spill has impacted the shoreline since Friday.

 ###

Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: Oct. 31, 2009

Contact:  Obrien's Response Management
(985) 781-0804

Contact:  U.S. Coast Guard
(504) 504-5924

Agencies respond to freight ship spilling oil

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard and O'Brien's Response Management are responding to oil which is leaking from the motor vessel Pac Alkaid, which is anchored 10 miles southeast of Southwest Pass near Venice, La.

The Pac Alkaid reported the discharge to the Coast Guard at approximately 2 a.m. Friday, when it was anchored five miles southeast of Southwest Pass. Winds and currents pushed the oil to the northwest yesterday, which caused a sheen to wash up against the rocks of the Southwest Pass jetty. The Coast Guard ordered the vessel to move further offshore at approximately 11 a.m. Friday in order to lessen the impact of the oil on the shoreline.

The initial discharge of an estimated 12,000 gallons of bunker oil was caused by a hole in the Pac Alkaid's hull.  The hole is approximately five centimeters in diameter, and lies five feet below the waterline. The hole penetrated the vessel's starboard fuel tank, which has a capacity of nearly 120,000 gallons of bunker oil. The cause of the hole is currently unknown.

O'Brien's Response Management hired the response vessel Louisiana Responder, a 220-foot vessel which is owned by the Marine Spill Recovery Corporation, to clean up the spill. The Louisiana Responder has been on scene since Friday, but oil recovery has been prevented by three-to-five foot waves and a lack of concentrated oil. The Coast Guard has conducted four helicopter flights with observers who have photographed and assessed the spill since Friday. O'Brien's Response Management hired commercial divers, who inspected the hole in the vessel's hull this morning. The divers are currently awaiting parts which they will use to attempt to plug the hole. These parts are expected to arrive later this evening.

The Coast Guard and O'Brien's Response Management have formed a Unified Command which is responding to this incident and will continue to monitor and assess the vessel's condition, the temporary repairs, and the clean-up.

###

Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: Oct. 24, 2009

Contact: Public Affairs Office
(618) 225-9008

Coast Guard is responding to 200 gallon crude oil spill

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard and other agencies are coordinating efforts to investigate and clean up an oil spill found in the marsh near Port Sulfur High School on Oct. 23, 2009.

Coast Guard Station Venice received a call from a mariner Friday reporting an oil spill approximately three blocks from Port Sulfur High School. A pollution investigation team from Coast Guard Sector New Orleans responded and discovered approximately 200 gallons of crude oil stretching along approximately 3,000 feet of shoreline. The spill occurred when high tides caused oil to discharge from a hole in an abandoned wellhead. 

  An abandoned wells representative from the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources will be on scene Monday to assess the wellhead, and to make plans to secure the hole.  The Coast Guard and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources are overseeing the clean-up of crude oil from the shoreline.  Oil Mop, LLC has been hired to conduct the clean up and is encircling the wellhead with absorbent materials and 3,000 feet of containment boom. 

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and Louisiana Office of Conservation are also assisting in the response.

###

Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: Oct. 18, 2009

Contact:  PA3 Stephen Lehmann

 (618) 225-9008 

UPDATE: Fourth missing boater rescued in Lake Pontchartrain

***MEDIA NOTE: For rescue video footage click here.***

NEW ORLEANS — Saint Tammany's Parish Water Patrol rescued a missing boater from Lake Pontchartrain at approximately11:30 a.m., Sunday, nearly 24 hours after his boat capsized in Lake Pontchartrain.  

The 72-year-old man was discovered by the Saint Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office water patrol approximately five miles south of Mandeville, La.  He was thrown into the water along with one other adult male, age 40, and two children, ages 5 and 13, when their vessel capsized in Lake Pontchartrain at approximately 12:00 p.m. Saturday.

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received an initial report at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Saturday that the foursome had not returned from a day boat trip at a time pre-arranged with their friends and family. 

The Coast Guard immediately launched an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter and crew which located and hoisted the 5-year-old and 40-year-old and transported them to East Jefferson Hospital. A Saint Tammany Parrish Sheriff's Office response boat located the 13-year-old boy, who was brought to Lakeview Hospital for medical care Saturday evening. The 72-year-old man was transferred to Lakeview hospital this morning. The condition of all four rescued boaters is unknown.

During the search, the Coast Guard deployed two MH-65C Dolphin helicopters, two 41-foot rescue boats from Coast Guard Station New Orleans, and a HC-144 Ocean Sentry rescue plane from Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala.

“These boaters greatly increased their chances of survival by telling their friends and family where they were going, and when they expected to return. When they failed to return on time, their families made a speedy report of distress to local authorities, which enabled us to rescue them much more quickly,” said Coast Guard Sector New Orleans Command Duty Officer Lt. j.g. Brian Sattler.

All four were wearing life jackets, which also increased their chances of survival. The Coast Guard encourages boaters to wear life jackets at all times when on the water.

###

Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: Oct. 18, 2009

Contact:  Coast Guard Public Affairs                      (618) 225-9008

Coast Guard rescues three boaters, searches for one in Lake Pontchartrain

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard and Saint Tammany's Parish Sherrif's Office rescued a 5-year-old boy, a 13-year-old boy and a 40-year-old man after their vessel capsized in Lake Pontchartrain Saturday. The Coast Guard continues to search for a 72-year-old man who is still missing. 

Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received the intial report at approximately 7 p.m from the local sheriff's office that the two adults and two children had not returned at their pre-arranged time. 

Sector New Orleans launched a 41-foot rescue boat and crew from Coast Guard Station New Orleans, an MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station New Orleans and an HC-144 Ocean Sentry rescue plane and crew from Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala.,  to search.  

The crew of the rescue helicopter spotted one adult and two children, hoisted them into the helicopter and transported them to West Jefferson Medical Center for treatment.  Their condition is unknown.

Saint Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office is also on scene, assisting in the search. 

The Coast Guard continues to search of the missing man. 

###