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The death of one of the crewmembers of the R/V Russell W. Peterson during Monday’s storm has raised questions about the use of the vessel 14 miles off the coast of Rehoboth Beach.
The questions about the seaworthiness and possible problems with at least one of the tripod legs that helped to stabilize the liftboat are not being answered because no one is talking – not the owners of the ship and not the Coast Guard since an investigation is under way.
A Coast Guard rescue swimmer found one of the crewmembers of the Russell W. Peterson dead, possibly crushed by heavy objects, in the galley, when he boarded the ship during the May 12 nor’easter.
As the ship floundered 14 miles off the coast of Rehoboth Beach, the Coast Guard received a mayday distress call from the captain at 7:55 a.m. that the ship was breaking apart and taking on water.
Within minutes, a helicopter from the Coast Guard station in Atlantic City, N.J., was in flight and at the location within 45 minutes. Rescue swimmer Tye Conklin was lowered from the helicopter, which was hovering 100 feet above the ship.
Petty Officer Christopher McLaughlin, a Coast Guard spokesman in Atlantic City, said Conklin found the captain at the helm fighting to keep the crippled ship afloat and unable to leave to check on his crewmate.
With one of two engines failed, the captain was trying to keep the ship from flipping over as it started taking on water, McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin said conditions were rough with some waves topping out at 12 to 14 feet with winds of 45 to 50 mph.
Conklin found the other crewmember below in the galley covered with debris.
“Everything that was not tied down was on top of him,” McLaughlin said. “There were no vital signs.”
The injured crewmember was hoisted in the rescue basket first, followed by the captain and Conklin together. By 9:30 a.m., the helicopter was on its way to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, Md.
The abandoned ship washed ashore around noon near the boardwalk in Bethany Beach, and was expected to be towed from the shore by the end of the week.
The names of the two crewmembers have not been released.
Salvage operations are under way as Coast Guard investigators try to piece together what happened aboard the Russell W. Peterson – a 65-foot liftboat, but considered a small craft.
McLaughlin said an investigation is under way to determine the cause of the accident. “We don’t know why they were out there in the bad weather,” he said.
Coast Guard officials said since the Russell W. Peterson was converted to a research vessel it is exempt from most of the regulations and inspections as a liftboat.
During the storm, it’s surmised that the liftboat had its three legs, or spuds, anchored to the sand, until one broke. “That was what came over the mayday call from the captain,” McLaughlin said. The leg at the rear of the boat was the one with the apparent problem.
In order to make the trip from the Gulf Coast up the intracoastal waterway and get under bridges, the owners cut the legs from 105 feet to 70 feet. McLaughlin would not comment whether shortening the legs contributed to the apparent failure of one.
The Russell W. Peterson, owned by Aqua Survey Inc. in Flemington, N.J., and named after the former Delaware governor, was in its sixth week of a 75-day survey of migratory birds for Bluewater Wind. The boat, built in Louisiana 25 years ago, was christened in Wilmington on March 29, and arrived at the Lewes City Dock March 31.
The only statement issued by Aqua Survey so far is: “Our hearts and prayers are with the family and friends of the lost mariner. Aqua Survey will work closely with the Coast Guard and other agencies to safely and quickly salvage the vessel.”
Migratory bird information is one item requiring study to determine Bluewater Wind’s proposed offshore wind farm’s potential environmental impact. Bluewater Wind has proposed to construct a wind farm off the shore of Rehoboth Beach.
“Everyone at Bluewater Wind is deeply saddened by this tragic occurrence. Our thoughts and prayers are with the captain’s family, friends and loved ones,” said Peter D. Mandelstam, president of Bluewater Wind LLC.
Before it was converted to a research vessel, the Peterson worked servicing oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.
Liftboats have open decks and barge-shaped hulls that are equipped with three large metal legs in a tripod configuration that can be lowered to the sea floor. Once the legs are lowered, the ship becomes a working platform above the waves.
Capt. Collin Clement, skipper of the ship, who was not aboard during the storm, said in a previous interview that the boats are commonplace around Texas and Louisiana.
He also said there is a tilt alarm that warns the crews when the legs are down and the boat begins to list excessively.
“Stability is not absolute. Sometimes you have to get up in the middle of the night and level it,” Clement said.
Dave Morgan, Aqua Survey’s director of engineering and a crewmember, said in a previous interview that test borings were done previously to check out the sea floor. “The bottom there is very sandy. We’re confident it’s stable,” he said.
Crews from Delmarva Salvage and Tow Boat were expected to start towing the ship away from the beach at high tide Thursday, May 15. Off-loading of equipment started at noon Tuesday, May 13.
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