Amtrak Train Crash in Washington State

Employer to Pay Death Benefits

"All the six survivors are now accommodated in a hotel in Virginia, USA, after the last of them was discharged from the hospital Thursday, March 4. The marine casualty investigation is ongoing and the survivors have been requested to stay to provide information. Thereafter, they shall be repatriated. "The company/employer will provide the survivors with a two-months salary for contract discontinuance, in addition to the 120 days sickness wages provided under the POEA standard contract. The company/employer will also provide an ex-gratia payment of between US$15,000-US$20,000. "The beneficiaries of the seafarers who perished in the accident will also be provided with ex-gratia payment of between US$15,000-US$20,000. Even in the absence of a CBA, the company/employer has decided to provide benefits in accordance with the TCC-CBA schedule of benefits; as follows: Death compensation US$60,000 For every child less than 21 years of age up to a maximum of four (4) US$15,000 Burial allowance US$ 1,000 Loss of personal effects US$ 500."

Investigation of tanker accident is at a standstill

Ship's crew won't talk to Coast Guard Explosion investigation slowed by silence A Coast Guard investigator says surviving crewmen of the Bow Mariner refuse to answer questions and their employer hasn't responded to requests for information about the ship, which exploded and sank off the coast of Virginia 11 days ago. "Not one piece of paper has been given to us that we asked for," Jerry Crooks, Coast Guard chief of investigations, said of the ship's managing company, Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises. As for the crewmen, "Their lawyers are telling them not to answer our questions," said Crooks, explaining that they had invoked their constitutional right against self-incrimination. "We respect their Fifth Amendment right. But until they tell me what they know, I can't figure out what happened on that ship that day." ... "The other two were a chief cook and messmate who were in the galley during the explosion," he said. "They could only tell us about their escape and rescue." A spokesman for Ceres Hellenic said his company would supply information by the subpoena deadline on Friday...."The explosion on the Bow Mariner was seen 14 miles away," said Crooks. "What if that had happened inside a U.S. port?" In other developments, a 226-foot response ship called the Powhatan arrived at the wreckage site. The ship dispatches a submersible vessel with cameras that can videotape the wreck and even enter the ship to search for victims. But poor weather offshore could pose a challenge to recovery efforts this week. Click Here to see full story NORFOLK — An investigation into the explosion and sinking of the tanker Bow Mariner is being hampered by lawyers who refuse to allow investigators to interview survivors, the Coast Guard said. “At this point, we are barely under way,” Jerry Crooks, chief investigator for the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Office in Norfolk, said Monday of the 10-day-old probe. “Our investigation is stalled.” Click Here to see full story....

More Bow Mariner News Stories

WVEC.com (subscription) - Norfolk,VA,USA ... The Norfolk-based NOAA ship Rude is over the site of the Bow Mariner, a chemical tanker that exploded and sank off Virginia's Eastern Shore Saturday night. ... http://www.wvec.com/news/local/wvec_local_030204_rude_searches_.477e9814.html See all stories on this topic: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.wvec.com/news/local/wvec_local_030204_rude_searches_.477e9814.html SONAR will help determine salvage plans for sunken tanker Virginian Pilot - Norfolk,VA,USA ... The Bow Mariner, a Singapore-flagged chemical tanker, left Linden, NJ, for Texas City, Texas, carrying a partial cargo of 3.2 million gallons of industrial ... http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=66881&ran=140877 See all stories on this topic: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm%3Fstory%3D66881%26ran%3D140877 COAST Guard is invisible except when it counts Virginian Pilot - Norfolk,VA,USA The 570-foot tanker Bow Mariner ... After its crew relayed a frantic Mayday call, the ship quickly sank, leaving behind a pungent oil and chemical slick. ... htp://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=66848&ran=78905

More News RE Tanker Explosion

CHEMICAL Tanker Explodes Off Virginia Coast WTEV - Jacksonville,FL,USA A chemical tanker exploded and sank about 50 miles from the Virginia coast Saturday, leaving three dead and eighteen missing ... The tanker, the Bow Mariner ... http://www.wtev.com/news/national/story.aspx?content_id=9CC1F269-E3C0-42D9-91CF-88046A391FE9 See all stories on this topic: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=google&num=30&newsclusterurl=http://www.wtev.com/news/national/story.aspx%3Fcontent_id%3D9CC1F269-E3C0-42D9-91CF-88046A391FE9 SEARCH for survivors continues after tanker explosion San Diego Union Tribune - San Diego,CA,USA ... The 570-foot Bow Mariner was en route from New York to Houston Saturday when it sank in 200 feet of water. Lt. ... The ship is a chemical tanker built ... http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20040229-0955-tankerexplosion.html 18 missing after tanker blast WVEC.com (subscription) - Norfolk,VA,USA ... The Bow Mariner, a chemical tanker, sinks after an explosion off the coast of Virginia. The tanker was carrying 3.5 million gallons of ethanol. ... http://www.wvec.com/sharedcontent/nationworld/nationprint/022904cccacwnattanker2.3d98b456.html 3 in crew die, many missing as tanker explodes, sinks Chicago Sun Times - Chicago,IL,USA ... The Bow Mariner, a 570 ... Three helicopters, three Coast Guard boats and a C-130 plane were searching for survivors. The ship was a chemical tanker ... http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-tank29.html DEADLY Tanker Explosion Off Delmarva Coast WJZ - Baltimore,MD,USA ... The other six men were being evaluated, she said. The Bow Mariner, a 570-foot tanker flying ... The ship is a chemical tanker, built in 1982 and owned ... http://wjz.com/localstories/local_story_060001031.html

Maritime Disaster off Virgina Coast

Sunday, February 29, 2004 The Singapore-flagged Bow Mariner blew up and sank late Saturday.   In the most significant maritime accident so far this year, the U.S. Coast Guard was searching early Sunday for survivors of a chemical tanker that exploded and sank off Virginia's Chincoteague Island, killing at least three crew members. The ship's owner is the Norwegian shipper Odfjell. The Bow Mariner was carrying 3.5 million gallons of industrial ethanol which will certainly cause significant environmental consequences.  The explosion killed at least three of the 27 crew members. The ship is managed by Ceres but is owned by Norway's Odfjell Seachem. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued six critically-injured survivors from a lifeboat. Ships and aircraft continue searching for 18 missing crew members in cold ocean waters about 80 kilometers offshore from the state of Virginia. According to CNN, the cause of the blast is under investigation. The Coast Guard in Washington contacted Singapore, which will also take part in the investigation, Dye said. Lt. Chris Shaffer of Emergency Services based in Ocean City, Maryland, told The Associated Press that the explosion occurred after a fire started on the ship's deck.  Because, the explosion occurred in international waters, the Coast Guard doesn’t have automatic jurisdiction. Officials in Singapore and from the Coast Guard would have to negotiate how that will be handled. See the CNN story, click here. See the VOA News Story, click here. See the Pilot Online news story, click here. See other articles re disaster, click here. The vessel was in transit from New York to Houston with 24 Filipino and three Greek crew.  The six survivors are being treated with one in a critical condition, two in serious condition and three in good condition. Because this accident happened in navigable waters, the rights and liabilities of shipowners, insurance carriers and crew are governed by admiralty and maritime law.  In order to understand these laws, you may contact me toll free at 1-866-936-7447 or email us directly. Information on The Bow Mariner The Bow Mariner is a ship managed by the CERES Helenic Shipping Enterprise, LLC. Their mission statement reads as follows: VISION "Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises Ltd., believes that ecologically sound and safe, seaborne trade promotes world peace, supports a unique form of communication between nations and assists the development of peoples who strive to improve their standard of living. Ceres will always endeavor to provide superior client service by achieving Maximum Quality through zero casualty tolerance. We strive to be a leader in the ship management industry, by utilising new information technologies in shipping, consistent with our strategic goals and by realising maximum efficiency through superior management. We aim at exploiting new horizons and new markets worldwide by forging strategic alliances with new or existing customers." Ceres Office is based in Piraeus,  Worldwide Agency Network, Over 3,000 Seamen, 200 Shore Personnel, ISO 9001:2000 & ISO 14001.  Members of Boards & Associations of: ITOPF, WOE, UK P&I, ABS,  DNV, INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, HELMEPA