“Cougar Ace” claims life of salvage expert

“Cougar Ace” claims life of salvage expert

“Cougar Ace” claims life of salvage expert

   A salvage engineer died Sunday while surveying the condition of the disabled auto transport vessel “Cougar Ace” that is drifting on its side 140 miles south of the Aleutian Island chain, according to a joint statement from the U.S. Coast Guard and vessel owner Mitsui O.S.K. Line.
   A four-man team from Titan Maritime determined that at least some of the cargo — primarily Mazda vehicles — is intact and that the vessel remains stable.
   One of the team members slipped and fell while trying to disembark from the vessel, which is listing heavily on its port side, and was knocked unconscious. His colleagues tried to resuscitate the man, who was evacuated to a Coast Guard cutter on the scene where he was pronounced dead after medical staff administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation for an hour.
   The salvage team originally attempted to board the stricken car carrier from the Titan vessel Makushin Bay, but were unable to climb up the structure. The engineers had to be airlifted on board by a helicopter from a Coast Guard cutter.
   They reported that the cars on the highest deck and the ninth deck remain secure and have not shifted. There are a total of 14 car decks on the “Cougar Ace,” which is carrying more than 4,800 autos. The engine room is intact and there is no sign of flooding.
   The tug “Sea Victory” was scheduled to arrive on the scene sometime Monday night, two days ahead of schedule, from Seattle. The tug belongs to Crowley Maritime’s Titan subsidiary, which was hired by MOL to stabilize the vessel and tow it to port. MOL, the Coast Guard and Titan are developing plans to right the vessel and tow it to an as yet undetermined port. They are also conducting a safety assessment after Monday’s tragedy.
   The statement said weather conditions returned to calm Monday afternoon following a period of patchy fog, west winds to 25 knots and seas to seven feet. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is monitoring the vessel for potential oil leaks.