The Coast Guard just announced the findings of its investigation of the fatal collision of a 23-foot Robalo center console and a 154-foot Coast Guard fast-response cutter off the coast of Puerto Rico last August.
It turns out that even though the cutter, Winslow Griesser, had radar and AIS and several crew members on the bridge, no one saw the Robalo until after the cutter hit it. At that point, the cutter, which had been cruising at about 29 knots, reversed course and returned to the scene, where it picked up the two men who had been ejected from the Robalo. One was pronounced dead, the other was injured.
The findings said, “This mishap occurred because neither the Winslow Griesser nor the center console saw one another,” adding that “A combination of human factors, environmental conditions and engineering factors led to this unfortunate accident.”
The report said that the design of the cutter’s bridge windows “caused a blind spot” for the officer on duty, who was standing in the center helm position. It said the officer “would not see the center console even in benign conditions.”
The accident occurred at 1:45 pm on August 8 about four miles northeast of Dorado, Puerto Rico. The conditions at the time involved a clear day with 6-8 foot seas and winds from 15-18 knots with gusts to 22 knots.
In a simulation, the report said the center console would disappear in the troughs and then reappear so that it would not have been consistently visible to the crew on the bridge of the cutter. The Robalo was only going 5 knots at time of collision; the two men were setting their fishing lines.
In a memorandum, Vice Admiral Kevin E. Lundy, commander of Coast Guard Atlantic Area, wrote “The cutter’s failure to maintain a proper lookout and to maintain safe speed prevented critical actions by the cutter crew that ultimately could have avoided the collision or minimized the consequences…
“The public rightfully expects the Coast Guard as professional mariners to maintain and emulate the highest standards of prudent seamanship and navigation. We did not do so here, with tragic consequences for members of the public we serve.”
After the accident, the captain of the cutter was temporarily relieved of his duties; he subsequently has been reassigned to a new duty station in Washington state.
Read the report here: https://media.defense.gov/2023/Jul/07/2003254868/-1/-1/0/CGC%20WINSLOW%20GRIESSER%20MII%20-%20FINAL%20ACTION%20MEMO%20AND%20MII%20REPORT.PDF
