Coast Guard Responds to Ship Collision in Caribbean Sea

The Coast Guard responded to a vessel collision on the Caribbean Sea Saturday.

The collision occurred early Saturday between the 557-foot United Kingdom-flagged motor vessel Seagate and the 492-foot Liberia-flagged motor vessel Timor Stream approximately 60 miles northeast of Isle de Tortue, Haiti.

It was reported the motor vessel Seagate was taking on water, and had 21 crewmembers aboard, 18 of whom boarded life rafts, while the remaining three crew members remained aboard to assess the damage. Of the 18 crewmembers who boarded life rafts, 17 were recovered by the motor vessel Timor Stream, and one was recovered by a good Samaritan motor yacht Battered Bull. All personnel are accounted for, and no injuries have been reported.

Images of the motor vessel Seagate after a collision with the motor vessel Timor Stream March 10, 2012. U.S. Coast Guard photos.

The captain of the motor vessel Seagate confirmed the vessel is stable, with minimal water in the engine room. However, as a result of the collision, one of the fuel tanks was punctured with a potential release of approximately 4,000 gallons of lube oil onboard.

The motor vessel Timor Stream has an unknown number of personnel aboard, and its crew confirmed the ship suffered minimal damage, is structurally sound, and will remain on scene until released by the Coast Guard.

The crew of the 210-foot Coast Guard Cutter Venturous, homeported in St. Petersburg, Fla., arrived on scene and assumed the role of on-scene commander. A Coast Guard helicopter crew and airplane crew are conducting overflight assessments.

"Our main focus now is to ensure the continued safety of the Seagate crew and to mitigate any further damage to the vessel or environment that may be caused by worsening weather," said Cmdr. Troy Hosmer, Venturous' commanding officer. 

The Coast Guard Cutter Venturous is the on-scene commander. U.S. Coast Guard photos.

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Source: USCG - http://www.d7.uscgnews.com/go/doc/586/1334571/