By David Hench
An investigation into the accident involving Portland's new fireboat on Nov. 7 shows that its grounding on a submerged ledge, which caused $90,000 worth of damage, was preventable and will prompt discipline.
The results of the Fire Department's inquiry, done in conjunction with the Coast Guard, were released Friday by Fire Chief Fred LaMontagne.
"Like the members of the public, I am very disappointed to discover that this incident could have been avoided," LaMontagne said in a written statement.
He said that any discipline in response to the accident is confidential until it becomes final because it is a personnel matter.
The chief said earlier that firefighter Richard Wurfel was at the helm as the 65-foot, $3.2 million boat made its way through narrow Whitehead Passage at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 7 and hit submerged rock.
The boat was near a marker noting the location of a ledge near Cushing Island.
LaMontagne said that because of the incident, members of the department's marine division are "in the process of confirming their knowledge and understanding of navigation practices."
Members of the marine division get in-house training but are not required to have pilot's licenses, he said. Many have gotten specialty training on their own.
Wurfel has years of experience piloting the fireboat that was retired when the new one was put into service this fall. The 50- year-old City of Portland III has been put back into service, while repairs are made on the new boat.
The City of Portland IV ran aground during a rescue call to Jewell Island - one of its first calls.
Firefighters left the dock about 4:30 p.m. that day to assist a 62-year-old man who had fallen into the water off Jewell Island and was getting hypothermic, rescue personnel said.
After dropping off firefighters to help the man, the boat, with two crew members on board, headed back toward the city to get more people and equipment in case the man's condition worsened and he had to be removed from the island.
The boat was heading into the channel between Peaks and Cushing islands, with its crew using instruments to navigate in the dark, when it ran aground about 6:30 p.m. The water was choppy, and an astronomical low tide meant it was shallower than normal.
The collision damaged the boat's left propeller, shaft and rudder. The keel was scraped and bent slightly, and the impact pushed the rudder into the hull, punching a hole in it.
The new boat is insured, with a $25,000 deductible, meaning the city will pay only that portion of the repairs' cost.
It is not clear how long the repairs will take, but LaMontagne had hoped to have the boat fixed by the middle of this month. He said he hoped to get the repairs done locally but the insurance company will decide.
"We want to accomplish it in the most expedient manner that maintains the warranty of the vessel," he said.
After the crash, it was not immediately clear how it was to be investigated.
The Coast Guard investigates commercial boating accidents, and the Maine Marine Patrol investigates serious pleasure-boating crashes. There was no clear procedure for a crash involving a municipal vessel.
There was no requirement that the pilot be tested for drugs or alcohol, as there is after serious commercial accidents.
The Coast Guard did conduct soundings to make sure the buoys and markers in the channel were in the right location, which they were.
LaMontagne said the incident is taken very seriously, and noted that the department responds to "tens of thousands of emergency calls without incident."
Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:
dhench@pressherald.com
Originally published by By DAVID HENCH Staff Writer.
(c) 2009 Portland Press Herald. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
A service of YellowBrix, Inc.