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A waterway accident that resulted in 280,000 gallons of fuel oil being dumped into the Mississippi River last summer has been under investigation by the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard conducted an intense analysis of the circumstances surrounding the spill, interviewing witnesses and those tied to the case in a trial-like proceeding.
The Coast Guard investigating officer Melissa Harper presided over seven months worth of hearings and is expected to deliver her findings in New Orleans and later Washington D.C. Full details of the final report have not been released, but witness testimony has been damning.
The oil spill happened when an oil barge was pushed by a towboat into the path of an oncoming ship. When the ship collided with the barge oil was spilled into the Mississippi requiring a massive cleanup effort and necessitating closure of the river for a week.
Investigators found that at the time of the accident the towboat ‘Mel Oliver’ was being piloted by an unsupervised apprentice mate – not a fully licensed captain. The towboat’s assigned master-licensed pilot Terry Carver testified that he abandoned the vessel several days before the crash in order to visit his girlfriend in another state.
The apprentice mate John Paul Bavaret was left behind as sole captain of the towboat, which is a violation of Bavaret’s license. He should have been supervised by a superior, however additional testimony revealed that apprentices at the helm of towboats was not uncommon. In addition, crew members testified that Bavaret was asleep at the helm when the crash happened.
Maritime experts predict that the findings in this case could lead to dramatic changes for the shipping industry, especially in regards to how boat captains are licensed and trained.
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