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Accidents

Sea Bear (2015)

On 14 March 2015, Sea Bear and its four-person crew were returning from a dredging site west of Moriches, New York, toward the operator’s office in Bayonne, New Jersey. The tug began taking on water rapidly at about 14:00 to 14:15, and a crew member contacted Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service. The crew abandoned the vessel as it sank south of Fire Island Pines.

Classification

  • Incident Type: Sinking
  • Severity: High
  • Evidence status: The sinking, crew complement, and casualty outcome are supported by a federal court record and contemporaneous reporting. The flooding source and causal mechanism remain unresolved.

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameSea Bear
Vessel TypeTug
Flag StateUnited States [US]
IMO Number
MMSI367000890
Gross Tonnage
LOA (m)
Breadth (m)
Bollard Pull (t)
Power (kW)
Owner/OperatorWittich Bros. Marine, Inc.
TEU
Year Built
Crew Size4

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date2015-03-14
LocationApproximately three-quarters of a mile south of Fire Island Pines, New York, in about 46 feet of water
Coordinates40.6957, -72.9657
RegionUnited States
Fatalities1
Injuries
Missing
Cargo Loss
Direct Damage
Economic Damage
Insured Loss
Salvage/Cleanup Cost

Key facts

  • Sea Bear was operated by Wittich Bros. Marine, Inc. and had four crew aboard when it sank.
  • The tug was returning from dredging work near Moriches, New York, toward Bayonne when it began taking on water at approximately 14:00 to 14:15 local time.
  • Three crew members were rescued after abandoning the vessel. Donald Maloney was recovered deceased, and the court record states that all four crew members were ultimately accounted for.
  • The vessel sank in approximately 46 feet of water about three-quarters of a mile south of Fire Island Pines. Other reports gave a wider distance range offshore.
  • The United States Coast Guard investigated the sinking, but no public final causal report was located.

Narrative

On 14 March 2015, Sea Bear and its four-person crew were returning from a dredging site west of Moriches, New York, toward the operator’s office in Bayonne, New Jersey. The tug began taking on water rapidly at about 14:00 to 14:15, and a crew member contacted Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service. The crew abandoned the vessel as it sank south of Fire Island Pines.

Coast Guard boats and aircraft, Suffolk County Police, and civilian tugs participated in the response. Three crew members were rescued in immersion suits. Donald Maloney was found deceased later in the search, and the federal court record states that all four crew members were recovered. Contemporary reporting described fog, rain, ice, and poor visibility as conditions that complicated the rescue; those conditions were not established as the cause of the sinking.

Sea Bear was associated with the Fire Island Inlet to Moriches Inlet Stabilization Project. Reporting stated that the United States Coast Guard needed the vessel salvaged before the cause could be determined. No public final Coast Guard report, confirmed flooding point, pollution assessment, salvage outcome, or financial-loss estimate was identified.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
2015-03-14Sea Bear departed a dredging site west of Moriches while returning toward Bayonne.
2015-03-14 14:00-14:15 localThe tug began taking on water rapidly, and a crew member contacted Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service.
2015-03-14The four-person crew abandoned the vessel as it sank approximately three-quarters of a mile south of Fire Island Pines.
2015-03-14Three crew members were rescued; Donald Maloney was recovered deceased later in the search.
2015-03-14Sea Bear sank in approximately 46 feet of water.

Investigation

The United States Coast Guard investigated the sinking. Contemporary reporting stated that salvage was needed before investigators could determine why the tug sank. The federal court record contains allegations of negligence and unseaworthiness in related litigation, not adjudicated findings about the casualty’s cause. No public final investigation report or final causal determination was located.

References

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