posted 03-26-2009 08:57 AM ET (US)            

In this case, the fishing boat had a life raft and an EPIRB. News reports indicate that all of the crew members were wearing survival suits, that mayday radio calls were sent out before the boat went down, and that an EPIRB distress signal was received by the Coast Guard. Yet even with all of the proper safety equipment, and with electronic distress communications, only one person from the seven man crew survived.

After the Florida incident, there was rampant speculation about what was done wrong and what should have been done differently. Before all of the facts were in (and they're still not in) some were even callously suggesting that the Florida boaters got what they deserved. The few facts reported so far on the New Jersey incident, however, demonstrate that even when all of the proper safety precautions are taken, the open sea can be dangerous and unforgiving.

posted 03-26-2009 09:48 AM ET (US)            

The Sea is a dangerous place for every mariner.
It's more dangerous when you are unprepared or inept.

The two views are not mutually exclusive.

Dave

.

posted 03-26-2009 06:03 PM ET (US)            

From PressofAtlanticCity.com

posted 03-26-2009 06:17 PM ET (US)            

In this neck of the ocean, the guys working on the boats own their own survival suits: You bring it aboard when you take a trip. Equipping them with PLB's is getting more common.

Dave

posted 03-26-2009 08:09 PM ET (US)            

Two of the three resucued, later died from exposure, they had survival suits on.

posted 03-26-2009 10:52 PM ET (US)            

That's from the viewpoint of a former commercial diver who worked in NY Harbor in winter in a drysuit, and who spent two years in Antarctica as well, and who now flies over water in US Navy Issued survival gear (including a drysuit under the flightsuit when sea surface temperature demands it)

Many survivors in Alaska have been in suits for lots longer than these guys.

My bet is that their suits flooded because they did not get them zipped, or they were rotten to begin with.

This is just a guess, but two to three hours ought to be easy in a sealed drysuit.

posted 03-29-2009 11:11 AM ET (US)            

The Associated Press has a good article on the the F/V LADY MARY:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ ALeqM5jk76JQvQKRILJxu71hQU2zRZXd6QD974QC2G0

The article cites the position of the F/V LADY MARY as about 75-miles offshore. This is beyond the range of normal VHF Marine Band radio communication. USCG radio coverage charts show only about a 25-mile range. Compare at

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/cgcomms/charts/05cpmay.jpg

According to this page:

http://www.fcc.gov/eb/ShipInsp/fishing.html

a commercial fishing vessel operating in this area would be required to have radio equipment qualified to the GMDSS standards. However, there appears to have been some sort of wavier granted to "fishing vessels" which might have relived them from compliance with some of the mandatory equipment.

GMDSS is an acronym for Global Maritime Distress Safety System. The use of digital selective calling radios (DSC) on recreational vessels is in compliance with a subset of the GMDSS standards. There is a good article on WIKIPEDIA on GMDSS:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Maritime_Distress_Safety_System

posted 03-30-2009 07:10 PM ET (US)            

Given the spokemans comment regarding registration and the
USCG delayed response, it would appear that in this event
valuable time was lost determining the validity of the
EPIRB signal not so the actual location.

Amazingly, the sole survivor stated he was in the water
for about 2 Hrs. before he and two others were rescued,
in that same short period of time four other men were lost.

I frequently motor past the docks where the Cape May, NJ
commercial fishing fleet is home ported, they are adjacent
to the Lobster House restaurant.

posted 03-30-2009 09:38 PM ET (US)            

Such as;

From the august pages of:

The Navigation Center

United States Department of Homeland Security.

United States Coast Guard

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/marcomms/gmdss/epirb.htm

quote:

---

...if the EPIRB is unregistered, a distress
alert may take as much as two hours longer to reach
the Coast Guard over the international satellite system.

...and if an unregistered EPIRB transmission is
abbreviated for any reason, the satellite will be unableto determine the EPIRB's location, and the Coast Guard
will be unable to respond to the distress alert.

Unregistered EPIRBs have needlessly cost the lives of several mariners since the satellite system
became operational.

---

The potential for a delayed dispatch and rescue is clearly
spelled out in their own publication.

The very technical nature of the unregistered EPRIB signal
notification process is flawed and has cost lives.

Now jimh, that is not to say that the coasties will sit on their asses and scratch their heads while deciding what to do once they receive an unregistered ERPIRB signal.

However, in this instance and per their own statement, unfortunately that is what appears to have occured.

posted 03-30-2009 10:36 PM ET (US)            

I am currently in the market for an EPIRB.

posted 03-30-2009 10:46 PM ET (US)            

I don't have definitive info on registration fees.

posted 03-31-2009 12:11 AM ET (US)            

If they call and they get his wife who says he's out fishing, this is positive evidence of the possibility of a real distress situation, and the agency proceeds accordingly.

I don't see a reason why the position information transmitted by a registered EPIRB would be any better than the position information transmitted by an unregistered EPIRB of the same type. I don't believe there is anything in the process of registering an EPIRB that makes it become stronger, longer lasting, or more accurate--or any other technical parameter change for that matter. It just becomes registered in a database.

This raises the question of why there might be some delay in response to an unregistered EPIRB signal. If it is not due to technical limitations, is it reasonable to assume it is due to administrative limitations?

On the other hand, a registered EPIRB will give the agency information about the vessel which could be crucial in the search. The registration information probably includes data about the owner and the vessel. Your search process might be different if you are looking for a 100-foot vessel instead of a 20-foot vessel.

posted 03-31-2009 05:16 AM ET (US)            

One thing: I can go online, log into my EPIRB account, and place a comment section there with general vessel information, basics regarding my vessels use and habits, points of contact to be called and the order in which to call them, and can also update a specific trip-plan if I am doing something out of the ordinary. You can update your float-plan there daily if you like. The information is as good as what you give it. When I go offshore, I update the information as a matter of routine. It takes a minute to do it, and may pay back one day with my life.

Learn these systems, read the NOAA page on them, and then use the tools the way they are designed. An unregistered EPIRB is one owned by someone who just does not understand how they are used.

Dave

posted 04-03-2009 08:28 AM ET (US)            

http://www.coastguardd5publicaffairs.com/go/doctype/651/29269/

News Release
Date: March 26, 2009
Contact: Fifth District Public Affairs
(757) 398-6272
Coast Guard convenes Formal Board of Investigation into Lady Mary sinking

PORTSMOUTH, Va.. – The Coast Guard is convening a Marine Board of Investigation into the sinking, with multiple loss of life, of the fishing vessel Lady Mary which occurred on March 24.

The board will convene a formal hearing Monday, April 6, in Cape May, N.J.

The board will consist of three Coast Guard officers led by Cmdr. Kyle McAvoy, who is proceeding under the authority of the Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security, and Stewardship, in Washington, D.C.

The board’s purpose is to thoroughly investigate the facts and circumstances relating to the sinking of the vessel and develop conclusions and recommendations to improve the safety and operations of similar vessels.

The National Transportation Safety Board will participate with the Coast Guard. The NTSB representative can make recommendations on issues to consider, identify and examine witnesses, and may submit or request additional evidence in the course of the investigation.

The Lady Mary sank 75 miles off the coast of Cape May. The Coast Guard launched an intensive 37 hour search covering 3,417 square nautical miles after receiving an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon alert.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew recovered three Lady Mary crewmembers, two of which were unable to be resuscitated, Royal Smith Jr. and Timothy Smith, and one survivor, Jose Luis Arias.

Still missing are; Frank Reyes, Frankie Credle, William Torres, and Tarzon Smith.

-------

News Release
Date: April 02, 2009
Contact: Fifth District Public Affairs
(757) 398-6272

Coast Guard delays start of formal hearing into Lady Mary sinking

PORTSMOUTH, Va. – The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation is delaying the start of formal hearings for the fishing vessel Lady Mary marine casualty investigation. The hearings are being rescheduled to allow the board time to review evidence they expect to obtain from the use of submersible Remotely Operated Vehicles.

The board is working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Coast Guard resources from Boston and New York to locate and survey the Lady Mary. The NOAA ship Thomas Jefferson is underway from Norfolk, Va., and will use sonar to attempt to locate the Lady Mary, which sank approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of Cape May, N.J., March 24.

Once located, Coast Guard teams will use an ROV to conduct an underwater survey of the vessel. The investigation team intends to use the survey results to help identify the condition of the vessel and any contributing factors that lead to the sinking. The ROV does not have recovery capability.

After the survey is complete and results reviewed, the board will announce its intended date to convene the formal hearings. The hearings are a method which allows the board to interview witnesses with direct information related to the sinking of the vessel and officially convey that information to the Coast Guard investigators.

The board consists of three Coast Guard officers led by Cmdr. Kyle McAvoy, who is proceeding under the authority of the Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security, and Stewardship, in Washington, D.C.

posted 04-27-2009 11:58 PM ET (US)            

"Family Expresses Heartfelt Thanks
Letters to the Editor | 6 days 14 hours ago | Comments 0

By Stacy Green

To The Editor: The Smith-Greene Family of Roy Smith Jr. (BoBo) and Stacy Greene would like to express their deepest gratitude to everyone for their prayers, generosity and loving acts of kindness and support during the sudden and tragic loss of our loved one(s) March 24, while at sea aboard the Lady Mary Scallop Boat.

Our lives, as well as so many other lives, have forever been changed as a result of this accident. Although this has been a deeply sad and difficult time for our family, we want readers to know that they have comforted us in one way or another, and we are humbled and blessed to know that we have friends, family, and even strangers from all around the world that have reached out to us during our tragedy.

Roy was a strong, southern, hard-working family man, with a wonderful sense of humor complete with a laid back, non-conforming, personality, who was quiet and soft spoken most of the time, yet he could and would clearly and powerfully speak his mind if the situation warranted.

He was a devoted and loving father, companion, friend and co-worker, and most of all he had an active and loving relationship with Jesus Christ when he died. He loved reading and studying the Bible daily and attending church when he was not at sea.

The evening he left to go out to sea on his last trip, he was at home reading his Bible. He was full of wisdom and knowledge concerning the things of the Lord. He truly had the gift of a father's heart. His son Jonathan says it all, "daddy lived a good life!"

It took years for Roy to arrive at this point, but he did, and we are grateful to God for the time that we had with him. He was truly happy and fulfilled within himself and in his relationship with God. Please continue to keep all of the families of the Lady Mary in your prayers, for our journey without our loved ones has only just begun.

posted 04-28-2009 11:41 PM ET (US)            

RICHARD DEGENER, Staff Writer, 609-463-6711 | Posted: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:10 am | 0 comments

CAPE MAY - A volunteer dive team is getting ready to investigate the sunken scallop boat Lady Mary with the goal of bringing answers to the families of those who died.

"We asked the family if we can help. It's been a long time and the families need closure," said Joe Mazraani, a member of the dive team from North Brunswick.

The dive may provide answers on why the boat sank suddenly during the pre-dawn hours of March 24 about 70 miles offshore. The seven-member team plans to take video and still photographs of the wreck.

Another goal is to recover bodies, if any are found and if such a recovery is possible. Four fishermen have been missing since the Lady Mary sank, including Frank Reyes, of Middle Township, Jorge Ramos, of Lower Township, Bernie Smith, of Wildwood, and Frank Credle, a former Lower Township resident who lived on the Lady Mary.

"It's a possibility. We won't know until we're on-site and are down there. It's kind of hard to quarterback it. The plan is to document the wreck and search for and recover any bodies," said Mazraani, an attorney who dives as a hobby.

The team is waiting for weather information before it goes offshore and could leave as early as today, though that looked doubtful Monday afternoon.

One problem is a lack of reliable offshore weather data. The same weather buoy the Lady Mary may have relied on for data is the one the dive team would use. The problem is the buoy, operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, lost its mooring and is sending in data from somewhere else.

"That buoy fishermen and divers rely on, and for over a year it's been off its mooring. It gives us hourly data but the forecast is skewed. It may be briefing us on Bermuda," Mazraani said.

The buoy is supposed to cover the offshore waters east of Cape May from the Hudson Canyon to the Baltimore Canyon. Mazraani said an inshore buoy has also had its wind speed indicator out for quite some time.

Nobody knows if this was a factor in the sinking of the Lady Mary. The lone survivor, Jose Luis Arias, was a deckhand on the boat. Four other crewmen are missing while the bodies of two brothers, Tim and Royal Smith Jr., were recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The buoy, known as Station 44004, is operated by NOAA's National Data Buoy Center and is supposed to be moored about 200 nautical miles off Cape May. It transmits information on waves, air and water temperatures, barometric pressure, visibility, tides, wind speed and direction and other data. It went adrift on March 8, 2008.

"When you don't get hourly data, you're flying blind. Forecasts on shore don't ring true. Those buoys are very important to navigation," Mazraani said.

The dive team is ready to go out when it gets its weather window. The team also includes: Steve Gatto, of Sicklerville; Tom Packer, of Berlin; Rustin Cassway, of Cherry Hill; Paul Whittaker, of the Atlantic City area; and Harold Moyers and Michael Duda, of Pennsylvania. A Coast Guard observer will also be on board.

The Coast Guard, meanwhile, is also working on sending a team out to take underwater video. Steve Weeks, the attorney representing the Smith family, which owned the Lady Mary, said that could happen as early as Wednesday.

Weeks has been pushing to get more information about the shipwreck before a Coast Guard inquiry into the sinking continues May 4.

Weeks said Royal Smith Sr., who lost two sons, a brother and a cousin in the tragedy, is not going on the trip but will assist with the costs, including the fuel bill.

Weeks would not be surprised if crewmen are found on the Lady Mary. A massive Coast Guard search, with help from some of the 20 fishing boats working within a six-mile radius, only recovered the Smith brothers.

"If everybody got off and got into survival suits they would have found more than two people," Weeks said.

The depth of the wreck presents some challenges. A sonar reading picked up the wreck 180 feet under, but it could be more than 200 feet to the ocean floor. Mazraani said the divers could use a mix of gases including helium, oxygen and nitrogen to assist in the dive and decompression. He said water temperature is about 47 degrees.

Mazraani said they have all dived together before. He said Gatto has been pushing for the dive since the Lady Mary sank and they had a meeting and decided to offer their assistance.

Mazraani said he is the youngest, "and on the bottom of the list," but many of the others have a wealth of experience and have worked on other deepwater shipwrecks.

"They know what they're looking at. They'll have a good idea of what happened," Mazraani said.

E-mail Richard Degener: