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S-Journey · 04-20-2005, 08:55 AM

No sign of crabbers missing at sea

The U.S. Coast Guard searched the Bering Sea on Sunday for three missing crew members from the crab fishing vessel Big Valley. No sign of the crew members were found, but the search will resume today.

The weather was stormy but not unusual for the Bering Sea on Saturday, with winds of 35 knots, or 40 miles per hour, and seas of 15 feet or higher.

The Big Valley, a 92-foot boat based in Kodiak, is believed to have sunk about 70 miles west of St. Paul in the Pribilof Islands. So far, three crew members have been recovered, but only one survived. All three were wearing survival suits. Three more from the Big Valley remain missing.

The survivor, Cache Seel of Kodiak, was found floating alone in a life raft. Troopers flew him Sunday from a clinic on St. Paul back to Kodiak.

Efforts by a reporter to speak with Seel were not successful. But a glimpse into what happened on the Big Valley comes from one of Seel's friends, Travis Stark. He spoke with Seel's wife after she had talked to her husband.

It was early Saturday morning and most of the crew was resting up for the snow crab opener. Seel's bunk ran side to side, along the width of the ship rather than the length of it. He woke to find himself standing up because the ship had rolled onto its side, Stark said.

"All I know is that it happened really fast," said Stark, who also is a fisherman and who has known Seel about 10 years.

Seel told his wife he helped a crew member who was trapped in a stateroom to get out, and crew members started putting on survival suits, Stark said.

The boat captain, Gary Edwards, had survival suits for everyone. There were also individual emergency locator beacons as well as a beacon for the boat, to aid rescuers. The boat's beacon is what alerted the Coast Guard of trouble just after 7 a.m. Saturday.

A couple of crew members worried the boat would go down with them inside, so they went on deck to put on their suits. But they couldn't hang on and fell into the churning sea.

"They fell in with their survival suits in their hands," Stark said. It's very difficult to put on a survival suit while in the water.

Seel clung to the ship, wearing his survival suit. He spotted a life raft. It had been tangled in the boat rigging but now was floating free. He swam to it, Stark said.

Authorities were having difficulty identifying all the crew members and notifying relatives, DeSpain said. One crew member's family was in Belgium. A Louisville, Ky., television station reported that one missing crew member was named Aaron Marrs, a Louisville native.

Edwards, 46, is believed to have been on the boat. He has a reputation as a safety-conscious skipper. Government researchers chartered his boat.

He also has been a big personality in Kodiak. His home on Father Herman Street includes what appears to be a pilothouse from an old wooden boat turned into a banya, or steam bath, said Marty Owen, Kodiak harbor master.

This summer, a group helped him built a rock wall at his home and it turned into a big party, with singing, dancing and rock hauling.

"A lot of people in town are sad," Owen said. "He was a well-known character here in Kodiak. He touched a lot of people in interesting ways."

The Coast Guard is investigating what happened on the Big Valley. Bering Sea crabbing is one of the country's most dangerous occupations but authorities have been trying to make it safer.

Decks of boats are piled with steel traps, called pots, which are dropped to the sea floor to capture the crabs. They affect vessel stability.

The Big Valley appears to have recently undergone a naval architect's review of its stability, which is required after a significant structural change, said Lt. Comdr. Chris Woodley, chief of port operations for the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Anchorage.

The architect report will be considered in the investigation, Woodley said, speaking from Dutch Harbor.

Coast Guard officials now do onboard inspections in Alaska to make sure recommendations in stability reports are being followed. The Big Valley wasn't in port in Dutch Harbor when the most recent inspections were done, so it didn't get one before heading out for the snow crab fishery, Woodley said.

The Coast Guard is searching with a helicopter, a C-130 airplane and the cutter Sherman in an area of 1,300 square miles. The trooper vessel Stimson and many private boats have helped search as well.

04-20-2005, 08:55 AM	#37
S-Journey Registered User iTrader: (0) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: location Posts: 626	Big Valley No sign of crabbers missing at sea The U.S. Coast Guard searched the Bering Sea on Sunday for three missing crew members from the crab fishing vessel Big Valley. No sign of the crew members were found, but the search will resume today. The weather was stormy but not unusual for the Bering Sea on Saturday, with winds of 35 knots, or 40 miles per hour, and seas of 15 feet or higher. The Big Valley, a 92-foot boat based in Kodiak, is believed to have sunk about 70 miles west of St. Paul in the Pribilof Islands. So far, three crew members have been recovered, but only one survived. All three were wearing survival suits. Three more from the Big Valley remain missing. The survivor, Cache Seel of Kodiak, was found floating alone in a life raft. Troopers flew him Sunday from a clinic on St. Paul back to Kodiak. Efforts by a reporter to speak with Seel were not successful. But a glimpse into what happened on the Big Valley comes from one of Seel's friends, Travis Stark. He spoke with Seel's wife after she had talked to her husband. It was early Saturday morning and most of the crew was resting up for the snow crab opener. Seel's bunk ran side to side, along the width of the ship rather than the length of it. He woke to find himself standing up because the ship had rolled onto its side, Stark said. "All I know is that it happened really fast," said Stark, who also is a fisherman and who has known Seel about 10 years. Seel told his wife he helped a crew member who was trapped in a stateroom to get out, and crew members started putting on survival suits, Stark said. The boat captain, Gary Edwards, had survival suits for everyone. There were also individual emergency locator beacons as well as a beacon for the boat, to aid rescuers. The boat's beacon is what alerted the Coast Guard of trouble just after 7 a.m. Saturday. A couple of crew members worried the boat would go down with them inside, so they went on deck to put on their suits. But they couldn't hang on and fell into the churning sea. "They fell in with their survival suits in their hands," Stark said. It's very difficult to put on a survival suit while in the water. Seel clung to the ship, wearing his survival suit. He spotted a life raft. It had been tangled in the boat rigging but now was floating free. He swam to it, Stark said. Authorities were having difficulty identifying all the crew members and notifying relatives, DeSpain said. One crew member's family was in Belgium. A Louisville, Ky., television station reported that one missing crew member was named Aaron Marrs, a Louisville native. Edwards, 46, is believed to have been on the boat. He has a reputation as a safety-conscious skipper. Government researchers chartered his boat. He also has been a big personality in Kodiak. His home on Father Herman Street includes what appears to be a pilothouse from an old wooden boat turned into a banya, or steam bath, said Marty Owen, Kodiak harbor master. This summer, a group helped him built a rock wall at his home and it turned into a big party, with singing, dancing and rock hauling. "A lot of people in town are sad," Owen said. "He was a well-known character here in Kodiak. He touched a lot of people in interesting ways." The Coast Guard is investigating what happened on the Big Valley. Bering Sea crabbing is one of the country's most dangerous occupations but authorities have been trying to make it safer. Decks of boats are piled with steel traps, called pots, which are dropped to the sea floor to capture the crabs. They affect vessel stability. The Big Valley appears to have recently undergone a naval architect's review of its stability, which is required after a significant structural change, said Lt. Comdr. Chris Woodley, chief of port operations for the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Anchorage. The architect report will be considered in the investigation, Woodley said, speaking from Dutch Harbor. Coast Guard officials now do onboard inspections in Alaska to make sure recommendations in stability reports are being followed. The Big Valley wasn't in port in Dutch Harbor when the most recent inspections were done, so it didn't get one before heading out for the snow crab fishery, Woodley said. The Coast Guard is searching with a helicopter, a C-130 airplane and the cutter Sherman in an area of 1,300 square miles. The trooper vessel Stimson and many private boats have helped search as well.