Condolences to you and your family…
[QUOTE=L’Attitude;181114]RIP to my Dad, Paul Amon. He is missed so much. I was his “shadow,” they called me growing up. He was such a great guy, and so full of life! May the families and friends of those affected in this tragedy also try to find peace.[/QUOTE]
My Thoughts and Prayers are with You and Your Family.
Condolences to you and your family.
I’m saddened to hear about the loss of your father and the other crew. He’s resting easy now, may the Lord bless you and your family during this time of healing.
here is a report of the accident from the NY Times
[B]Body of Second Crew Member Is Recovered From Tugboat Crash Near Tappan Zee Bridge[/B]
By SARAH MASLIN NIR and ANNIE CORREALMARCH 13, 2016
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — The body of a second tugboat crewman was recovered by searchers on Sunday a day after the boat slammed into a barge near the foot of the Tappan Zee Bridge. The body of the tugboat captain was recovered from the Hudson River after the dawn crash, and a third member of the crew was still missing and presumed to be dead, according to officials.
The tugboat, Specialist, was escorting a barge carrying a tower crane down the Hudson River to a Jersey City terminal when it hit a stationary barge just south of the bridge, and rapidly plunged about 40 feet, officials said. The cause of the crash was uncertain on Sunday, and an investigation was continuing.
“We try to wonder if there is a lesson to learn, if there is something that could be done differently,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said at a news conference beside the Tarrytown Marina, shortly before the body of the second man, identified as Timothy Conklin, 29, of Westbury, Long Island, was brought by a police boat and taken by stretcher up the dock. “Sometimes it’s just a pure accident, and that’s what this appears to be,” the governor said. “A pure accident.”
Radio dispatches revealed that the tugboat’s crew members were aware their vessel was too close to the barge, Mr. Cuomo said, but the boat could not move in time. The body of Paul Amon, 62, of Bayville, N.J., the tugboat’s captain, was recovered on Saturday.
The search for a third crew member, Harry Hernandez, 56, continued on Sunday, impeded at points by powerful currents. Divers could explore the vessel only when the water receded at slack tide. They must search “by feel,” with just six inches of visibility, Mr. Cuomo said.
Low water temperatures and the duration of the search have made finding Mr. Hernandez alive all but impossible, said Mark Magrino, deputy chief of enforcement operations of the United States Coast Guard’s New York sector. “It’s just disheartening,” he said.
The ruptured vessel had approximately 5,000 gallons of its own fuel, which was leaking into the river, causing a large sheen of oil, Mr. Cuomo said. Crews erected thousands of feet of boom to contain the oil, and were working to soak it up. Officials do not currently have a timetable to remove the boat.
Members of Mr. Conklin’s family and his girlfriend spent the morning standing at the river’s edge, awaiting news as Coast Guard helicopters buzzed overhead and boats with search teams coursed through the water. By noon their fears were confirmed.
Rob Astorino, the Westchester County executive, said Mr. Conklin had expressed trepidation about the journey to a brother. “He felt the tides and the currents were very, very strong,” Mr. Astorino said at a news conference. “He was concerned about this trip. But obviously the trip continued.”
Mr. Conklin grew up in Westbury in a neighborhood of trim wooden homes, many decked with American flags. He loved to surf and spend time with his four siblings, said Jeffrey Conklin, his uncle. “Timmy and his siblings were incredibly close,” the uncle said in a telephone interview. “It’s just a heartbreak.”
He described his nephew as someone who was family-oriented and preferred to stay at home with his siblings and parents than to go out. He added, “I’m sure everyone says the same thing, but this was a remarkable young man.”
Mr. Amon, the tugboat captain, had spent most of his life on the water, neighbors said. He was a father of two. A daughter, Erica Amon, 34, who became a tugboat captain like her father, declined to comment when reached by phone on Sunday.
Mr. Hernandez, who grew up in Brooklyn, took pride in his young son, his Puerto Rican heritage and his ability to brew a good pot of coffee, said Richard Jimenez, 39, a friend who lives in Texas and who had worked on support vessels off the Louisiana coast with Mr. Hernandez for several years. Mr. Hernandez was known for his booming voice and his zeal for his work. “He was a loud talker from New York; us guys from the South, we were not used to that,” Mr. Jimenez said with a laugh. “You could hear him a mile away. You knew when Harry was coming down to the galley. You knew when Harry was coming on the deck.”
When Mr. Jimenez was out of work recently, Mr. Hernandez, who was also out of work, took it upon himself to find his friend a job. He was skillful on a variety of vessels and jobs, including dredging, and earned the senior rank of bosun, or boatswain. “For him to work on a ship, for him to work on a dredge, he could do it all,” Mr. Jimenez said. “Harry is a crew mate that I would want on deck with me.”
Mr. Hernandez was saving to bring his son and wife, who lived in the Dominican Republic, to the United States. When he was not speaking about them, he spoke of his profession with gusto. His Facebook page was covered with pictures of him at work, each photo accompanied by praise for captains and crew mates.
A picture posted on Wednesday showed cranes on barges underneath a cloudless blue sky, framed against the Tappan Zee Bridge. “Good morning,” the post said. “Thank you God for giving me another day of life.”
and to L’Attitude I only wish to say that I too worshiped my father the captain so know how very dearly you loved and admired your dad…they really are tremendous heroes 10feet tall who shape our lives in ways we can never really know until they are no longer there. The pain you must be feeling now at his death must be terrific but know that in time the pain will ease and you will find yourself feeling that it is you now who is left to carry on the legacy. Take care, be well and God Bless your father’s soul.
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Returning from San Juan. Be at peace.
My apologizes, if you would like images of the tug on the returning from San Juan PM me.
Thank you everyone for your kind words and condolences. I just wish I didn’t know so much about the job and the industry. It might help some with the healing… Knowing he died going back for his crew, sounds exactly like something my dad would do. Today are his services. I will ride there on the back of his Harley. My dad = my hero, forever.
This was posted on another thread but I thought it should be here
With no Disrespect to those that were lost, I have to wonder why (even is this story is not true) why was the Captain taken off of the Specialist to stand a watch on another boat? It sure sounds like this company was running pretty short handed. As the Captain of the Realist stated in the above Article, He (the Captain from the Specialist) was standing a watch, which is fine but what about the Mate on the Specialist and who was going to relieve him after his watch was done?
I believe that the full story will evolve and come clear. To sum it up: Self certified recency (acting as Pilot) is being delved into. There is a HUGE misunderstanding concerning ‘who (meaning vessel operators) is required to meet recency’, What type of vessels are required to be operated by ‘recency qualified’ operators, and more importantly who is responsible for ensuring vessel compliance in operation.
The industry feels that if its not an oil barge, recency isn’t a big deal. Less of a big deal with a small oil barge. Big or small non oil barge nobody cares.
I don’t agree line by line but “towmasters” breaks down recency into crazy small details with commentary—not %100 in agreement though.
Now this story makes me wonder what really was going on.
I’d love to hear more about the real story behind all this. Hopefully it comes out.
Who knows, one can hope such a terrible tragedy would be met with transparency out of respect for those lost but this industry does such a great job of sweeping the truth under the carpet.
[QUOTE=Tugs;186318]This was posted on another thread but I thought it should be here
With no Disrespect to those that were lost, I have to wonder why (even is this story is not true) why was the Captain taken off of the Specialist to stand a watch on another boat? It sure sounds like this company was running pretty short handed. As the Captain of the Realist stated in the above Article, He (the Captain from the Specialist) was standing a watch, which is fine but what about the Mate on the Specialist and who was going to relieve him after his watch was done?[/QUOTE]
If true…good grief!
The now defunct union, Local 333, was chasing the owner around the harbor a few years back because the company was always working short-handed. It appears the bill for this unsafe practice has come due.
[QUOTE=z-drive;186376]Who knows, one can hope such a terrible tragedy would be met with transparency out of respect for those lost but this industry does such a great job of sweeping the truth under the carpet.[/QUOTE]
Amen Brother! It appears they only respect the dollar and the hell with respect for the drowned. The “Keep it all quiet!” attitude is alive and well, not only among owners but among the ranks of our own brother mariners too.
Hours do need to be looked at in context though. I have no problem going to move another boat or whatever off-watch if i haven’t been working a steady 6/6. I see no problem working beyond that if you’re well rested. In this case it sounds like the fought that barge the whole way down the Hudson in heavy winds so everyone was probably beat to shit.