Current:Home > MarketsCoast Guard opens formal inquiry into collapse of mast on Maine schooner that killed a passenger-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Coast Guard opens formal inquiry into collapse of mast on Maine schooner that killed a passenger
View Date:2024-12-23 11:55:53
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Coast Guard said Monday it has launched a formal investigation into a fatal accident aboard a historic schooner off the coast of Maine in which a mast fell and killed one person and injured three others.
The main mast of the schooner Grace Bailey splintered and fell onto the deck on Oct. 9. The collapse killed Dr. Emily Mecklenburg, 40, a physician from Rockland.
Coast Guard officials said the formal inquiry is intended to determine what led to the collapse and identify anything that can help improve maritime safety.
“As a member of a lifesaving service, I am deeply saddened by this tragedy,” said Capt. Amy Florentino, commander of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. “The Coast Guard is committed to conducting a thorough investigation aimed at identifying causal factors that will prevent an accident like this from reoccurring.”
The owners of the vessel, the Grace Bailey Navigation Company of Rockland, have no comment on the investigation, said Nicole Jacques, a spokesperson for the company. The vessel carries tourists off the Maine coast and was returning from a four-day trip when the mast snapped late in the morning of Oct. 9.
The vessel was built in 1882. It was about a mile (1.6 kilometers) east of Rockland Harbor at the time. The schooner’s full length is 118 feet (36 meters) and it was in compliance with requirements when it underwent an annual inspection in May, Coast Guard officials have said.
The schooner was involved in three previous accidents in recent years when it was under previous ownership, Coast Guard records have shown. The Coast Guard said Monday that it sent a 47-foot (14-meter) motor lifeboat crew to assist after the mast collapse and transferred Mecklenburg to emergency medical workers, after which she was pronounced dead.
There were 33 people on board the Grace Bailey when the mast collapsed. The other three injured people, who suffered head and back injuries, were transported to hospitals afterward.
veryGood! (65)
Related
- Two 'incredibly rare' sea serpents seen in Southern California waters months apart
- The first Ferrari EV is coming in 2026: Here’s what we know
- South Carolina, Iowa among five women's college basketball games to watch this weekend
- New York bank manager sentenced to prison for stealing over $200K from dead customer: DOJ
- Disney Store's Black Friday Sale Just Started: Save an Extra 20% When You Shop Early
- Beyoncé is the leading nominee for 2025 Grammys with 11 nods, becoming most nominated ever
- How Harry Hamlin’s Pasta Sauce Transformed Real Housewives Drama into a Holiday Gift That Gives Back
- Husband of missing San Antonio mom of 4 Suzanne Simpson charged with murder
- Minnesota county to pay $3.4M to end lawsuit over detainee’s death
- College Football Playoff elimination games: Which teams desperately need Week 11 win?
Ranking
- Climate Advocacy Groups Say They’re Ready for Trump 2.0
- Gia Giudice Shares The Best Gen Z-Approved Holiday Gifts Starting at Just $5.29
- The first Ferrari EV is coming in 2026: Here’s what we know
- Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in New Mexico is set to reopen
- Federal judge blocks Louisiana law that requires classrooms to display Ten Commandments
- Suspect arrested in fatal shooting of 2 workers at Chicago’s Navy Pier
- 2025 Grammys: Cardi B, Miley Cyrus and More Stars React to Their Nominations
- Prince William Says Princess Charlotte Cried the First Time She Saw His Rugged Beard
Recommendation
-
Who will be in the top 12? Our College Football Playoff ranking projection
-
San Francisco’s first Black female mayor concedes to Levi Strauss heir
-
Opinion: Trump win means sports will again be gigantic (and frightening) battleground
-
Racist text messages referencing slavery raise alarms in multiple states and prompt investigations
-
King Charles III celebrates 76th birthday amid cancer battle, opens food hubs
-
Another Florida college taps a former state lawmaker to be its next president
-
Elwood Edwards, the man behind the voice of AOL’s ‘You’ve got mail’ greeting, dies at 74
-
Tia Mowry on her 'healing journey,' mornings with her kids and being on TV without Tamera