Boat crew member falls asleep while piloting during storm

The owner of a fishing trawler, the Tara Lynn II, that ran aground off Cape Elizabeth, Maine, stated that the accident was caused by a crew member falling asleep at the wheel after turning on the ship’s autopilot. The ship was en route to Portland Harbor after a day of trawling for groundfish when it ran aground in shallow waters. The crew broadcast a mayday call at 12:30 a.m., and first responders from Cape Elizabeth Fire Department’s wet team transferred the uninjured crew members off the ship.

The ship sustained minimal damage when it first ran aground, but the pounding waves and historic high tides caused further damage, including the discharge of 500 gallons of diesel fuel and 5,000 pounds of fish. The insurance company has hired a salvage company to clean up the wreck, but salvage is temporarily on hold as they coordinate with nearby private property owners to access the wreck safely from land. The owner has been unable to contact the ship’s crew since the accident.

The Coast Guard is investigating the wreck, and the owner had hoped to tow the ship into deeper waters during high tide, but the storm made that impossible. The ship’s engine fell out of the hole created by the storm, and debris from the shattered hull and onboard cargo were left scattered across Trundy Point.

Source .