Tragic accident: USCG & pleasure boat

It sounds like you're describing at least half the captains I know and most of the boat owners. There is no shortage of people who can't drive a boat. I always heave to for a boarding, put out fenders and assist in fending them off as the team boards. And yes it is often a training mission for at least some of the team.
As for the San Diago situation I repeat: If only there were a way to get 30 years of experience into a 21 year old body. Personally, I'd find it hard to go slow if I had a powerful boat and a blue light, and I think I'm a bit more mature now than I was at their age. The kid apparently screwed up. Having recently seen what happens to a civilian in the same type accident that killed a little girl (after a clean breatalizer, nothing. No charges, no license suspension, no loss of job or rank.) I don't think the CG helmsman will get off quite as easy.

NYC you are correct I can only speculate his carrer is over and more than likely article 119 UCMJ manslaughter... As far as boat handling I will admit I have crashed my fair share of docks, come in a little to fast approaching another vsl, and have been high and dry more than once. If someone says this never happens to them I feel they need to spend a little more time underway and less time hanging around the marina

Yea, I'm sure no CG member ever takes the power to their head and interprets the law the way they see it. I'm sure it's me!

BMS, I further resent that you think following the rules is what makes my definition of an Ahole. I have a vast knowledge of subchapter T & K and have no problems with the rules and often we go beyond the requirments of the rules. I have problem with single individules trying to interpet the rules and not considering the spirit in which they are intended or ment.

That's the job of brass and legislators.

http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11726175

I'm currently in SD and this is on the news here.

I think this press conference was a classy thing to do.

I did not see anything classy about that, no regrets about the death, they need time to massage the facts, typical Government agency response, give it time and heat goes down. Next it will be someone suspended with pay pending furthe investigation. The video portion did not load, I am referring to the written portion.

I don't want anyone to resent me for having a discussion. We have gotten a bit off topic so lets clear up a few things. Laws are written and certain officials are tasked with enforcement. An officer or inspector interprets the law to the best of his ability and training. If the CG writes a violation the boarding officer interprets what is written in the CFR it the goes to the federal magistrate for interpretation. As far as the Ahole CG interpreting the CFR concerning sub T&K vessels if your vast knowledge of the subject conflicts with theirs simply write an appeal to the commander of your local MSO and Captain of the Port. I have had to do it myself in the past its usually just a misunderstanding that the next level in the chain of command can straighten out.

Yes you do. You are saying that a paid capatin is more at fault than an officer in the CG. Basically what you are stating is that if you are a civilian making a living on the water (Sea Tow captain) and you do something wrong you should be held to a higher standard than the government employee. That is not right! I think that all licensed Captains should be held to the same standard as USCG officers.

Coast Guard Coxswai= Military
Licensed Captain=Civilian

The coast guard may look military with the jack boot dress code.

The coast guard is now under the department of homeland security. Not the department of defense. You could walk the hall ways of the pentagon for days and you will not find an office in there belonging to the coast guard. If and when the day comes that the military can point loaded weapons at US citizens in normal times. Then the constitution and all that the founding fathers fought for were for naught. They were formed as the United States Life Saving Service. Not a military unit. During prohibition they got more powers then they should have. for a stupid law that should have never happened. Now we have enougher stupid govtment feel good act called the patriot act. It makes some people feel good while it accomplishes almost nothing except take more rights and freedoms away.

No, you are saying that. I'm saying that you need to learn how to read.

Originally Posted by Marmot


Ask yourself if you would be making the same defense if it was a SeaTow or its equivalent that whacked the child.

What am I missing here? You would change your defense of the situation if it were a for profit entity responding to a call.

No, I still wait for all the facts before condemning a person and try to keep an open mind. I do hold a person to a higher standard if they are doing something for pay as a professional than someone who is doing it in the service of their country. Unfortunately the military won't do the same. The helmsman will be held to a much higher standard than he would as a civilian. His career is certainly in jeopardy as is his permanent record. He may even face prison time. None of that would happen to you if you ran over a boat, even if a child died. That's a fact because it recently happened here. This was an accident pure and simple. Someone will be more at fault, maybe completely at fault, but it was an tragic accident. Using it as a platform to bash the U.S. Coast Guard or to try to destroy a young person's (who has volunteered to serve his nation) life is extremely distasteful.

Yes the CG is considered one of the armed forces. While it is not under DOD the laws of the UCMJ are still obeyed by its members. When those CG heathens point guns at citizens, which by the way would not happen unless neccessary to protect them selves or other citizens. The CG does have law enforcement authority if you question it look up 14USC89 it explains it all in great detail. So complain about them boarding you and checking your PFDs if you want but remember if you get in a pinch 200nm off shore their coming. Again I am not defending the actions of the CG coxswain but the CG as a whole. The CG does a lot of outstanding work everyday, saves countless lives, protects your coast, and even keeps drugs off your streets. If some of you were underway half as much as some of these guys are you are bound to screw up from time to time as well its just the odds.

Mr Bly you will find the Cg at the pentagon I promise my mother works there. The CG was not formed as simply a life saving service. It was formed from the Revenue Cutter Service, US Life Saving Service, and the Light House Service. The CG wears many hats sir and does everything from scraping seagull **** off bouys to saving lives to fighting terrorism all with fewer personel than NYC police dept. Check out Freds Place fellows lots of CG history and current events that normaly we wouldn't hear about.

Killing someone by hot dogging in the middle of a crowd at night just to look like Joe Hero to the rescue is not simply a case of the odds catching up with someone.

No matter how you want to paint this incident or how much of a jingoistic spin you would like to put on it, this was not much different than if someone fired a gun into a crowd, maybe there was no intent to hit someone but the action left little chance of any other outcome and that, my patriotic friend, is not an accident. It is callous disregard for others, an arrogant display of immunity from accepted standards of operation, and simple reckless behavior.

What is the difference between this tragedy and the recent fatal incident on Long Island that was attributed to reckless operation? Both involved an incompetent operator with little or no situational awareness functioning at a level inadequate to meet the demands.

This isn't the first and only time this scenario has been played out by a CG small boat driver, fortunately it is one of the few fatal incidents. If any other organization had the same record it would be shut down until it could prove its training and operations met acceptable standards for public safety.

Marmot,
Like I said in my previous posts I am not defending the operator of the CG small boat but the CG as a whole.

..and furthermore, when I was in the Coast Guard I learned to operate no faster than I would want to hit something. I don't condone hotdogging nor do I do it myself. The Captains that work for me as well as members of the Coast Guard I supervised while on active duty...hotdogging isn't something the Coast Guard teaches condones. This incident is more of an isolated incident.