Polar Sea heads to port after small boat mishap

[unhappycamper]

Polar Sea heads to port after small boat mishap
By Amy McCullough - Staff report
Posted : Tuesday Mar 10, 2009 21:09:02 EDT

The Polar-class icebreaker Polar Sea is heading back to Seattle after two crew members were ejected from a small boat as it fell into the water Monday evening.

Pacific Area spokesman Lt. Dave Oney said the icebreaker should reach its port by Tuesday evening. The crew members were quickly rescued from the cutter Midgett which was operating in the area but was not part of the Polar Sea training exercise. Four other crew members were able to climb onto the cutter from its Jacob’s Ladder before hitting the water. No one was seriously injured.

The boat was being lowered into the water near Port Townsend, Wash., for a training exercise when it suddenly fell. Once the ship is in port a mishap review board will be formed to investigate the incident. It is not clear how long that will take.

The Polar Sea is one of three polar icebreakers and was commissioned in 1978. It is homeported in Seattle but conducts regular missions in the North and South Poles. The Cutter Polar Star has been in caretaker status since 2006, and the newest polar icebreaker, Healy, is primarily used for scientific research missions.


Article at: http://navytimes.com/news/2009/03/coastguard_smallboataccident_031109/%2e