The National Transportation Safety Board has released findings from its investigation into a September 2024 incident in which the towing vessel Schweiger struck the docks at U.S. Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment in Ilwaco, Wash. No injuries were reported, but the contact caused an estimated $750,000 in infrastructure damage and resulted in a 20-gals. diesel spill.
The 60' steel tug, owned and operated by Advanced American Construction Inc., was operating lightboat in the Baker Bay West Channel on Sept. 11 when it veered to port and exited the marked channel, striking the station’s wave barrier at about 1236 local time. The impact destroyed a 60' section of the wave barrier, damaged floating docks and pilings, and severed a diesel fuel line running along the pier. The Schweiger was undamaged and returned to its berth at the Port of Ilwaco under its own power.
According to the NTSB, AIS data showed the Schweiger maintaining course until shortly before the incident, when it began drifting to port and continued turning out of the channel. The captain later told investigators he had “fallen asleep at the helm,” awakening only when the tug struck the dock structure.
Weather conditions at the time included 10-mile visibility and 10-knot winds.
Post-incident testing was negative for alcohol and drugs. However, after the casualty the captain sought medical care for flu-like symptoms and was diagnosed with COVID-19 and a partial lung collapse, according to the report.
The captain also reported taking unprescribed ivermectin tablets the night before the incident to address dizziness. While ivermectin is approved for limited human medical use, it carries warnings for potential neurological effects including drowsiness and confusion.
Although the captain reported obtaining normal sleep in the previous days, the NTSB concluded that illness effects likely degraded sleep quality and increased fatigue risk. Investigators could not rule out sudden medical incapacitation.
Built in 1979, the Schweiger is powered by twin 1,140-hp diesels with Kort nozzles and operates primarily in marine construction support service. The tug is certificated under Subchapter M.
Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment—located near the mouth of the Columbia River—is home to the National Motor Lifeboat School and maintains multiple floating docks and support facilities.
None of the Coast Guard vessels moored at the station were damaged during the incident.
