Marine Accident Brief: Contact of Towing Vessel Edna T. Gattle and Tow with Union Pacific Railway Bridge

This one is interesting -

Edna T.PNG

The captain estimated the current at 4.5–5 mph, and the Edna T. Gattle was set to starboard as it slowed down. The relief captain stated this was the fastest he had seen the current, and the captain told investigators that “Krotz Springs is a swift area.”

Marine Accident Brief: Contact of Towing Vessel Edna T. Gattle and Tow with Union Pacific Railway Bridge: Page not found

Executive Summary

​On April 24, 2019, about 2348, the towing vessel Edna T. Gattle was pushing the barge Terral 2 downbound on the Atchafalaya River through the Union Pacific Railway Bridge at mile 41.5, near Krotz Springs, Louisiana, when the captain lost control of the tow and the vessel and barge made contact with the bridge and piers. As a result, the barge suffered $26,748 in damages, and the bridge sustained $500,000 in damages and was out of service for 3 days. No injuries or pollution were reported.

Probable Cause

​The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the Edna T. Gattle and tow’s contact with the Union Pacific Railway Bridge was the captain allowing the tow to proceed beyond a safe decision point without confirming the status of the bridge opening, given the high river current.

Full Report: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MAB2016.pdf

Funny. Norwegians erroneously pluralize “damage” all the time, because grammar gets in the way when they try to English. It never fails to make me giggle, because someone who suffers damages doesn’t have his head on straight. This is the first time I see it from an assumed native speaker.

In the legal world, damage is defined as a loss or harm resulting from injury to a person, property or reputation. Damages , on the other hand, refers to compensation - such as a monetary judgment - provided to a person who has suffered a loss or harm due to the unlawful act or omission of another.

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That is the way I interpet it. Have sued and been sued, I can make the distinction

6 posts were split to a new topic: Spelling, punctuation etc