Coast Guard Cutter's Skipper Temporarily Relieved of Duty

Published Aug 31, 2006 12:01 AM by The Maritime Executive

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Public Affairs office for the 13th District issued a press release on Wednesday stating that Vice Adm. Charles D. Wurster, commander of the Coast Guard's Pacific Area, had “temporarily relieved Capt. Douglas G. Russell of command of the Coast Guard cutter HEALY, citing a loss of confidence in the officer's ability to command.” The move closely follows an accident in which two crew members of the USCG HEALY were killed during dive operations in the Arctic Ocean, approximately 500 miles north of Barrow, Alaska.

Capt. Daniel K. Oliver was assigned temporary command of the cutter, which is scheduled to return to its homeport of Seattle on Sept. 4. According to the Coast Guard press release, Oliver had been in command of the HEALY in the past. Lt. Jessica Hill, 30, of St. Augustine, Fla., died on August 17 during a routine dive operation in the Arctic Ocean approximately 500 miles north of Barrow, Alaska. A second crew member, Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Duque, 26, of Miami was also killed in the accident. Memorial services for both crew members were held last Thursday. The cause of the dive accident has not yet been determined and is still under investigation.