Aug 25, 2009 11:26 pm US/Eastern
Coast Guard Releases Baltimore Water Taxi Report
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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A Coast Guard report on the 2004 capsizing of a Baltimore water taxi calls for an assessment of pontoon boats to find those at higher risk of overturning.
AP
The U.S. Coast Guard is calling for a list of changes for the water taxis that operate in Baltimore. It was five years ago that five people were killed when one of those boats capsized.
Vic Carter reports this was part of the U.S. Coast Guard's final report.
"The Lady D" water taxi capsized in Baltimore's Harbor on March 6, 2004. It killed five people.
"That's the three of us sitting in the middle of the boat there. You can see what a beautiful afternoon it was," said Tom Pierce, survivor.
The boat, run at the time by Seaport Taxi, left Ft. McHenry with 25 people on board when a fast-moving microburst stormed into the bay. Passengers were tossed into the frigid waters.
"It started to rain. Then a second gust of winds came. I watched a third gust of wind come along and the boat just instantly flipped upside down. And I thought, this is the day that the three of us go together," said Pierce.
Tom Pierce survived, but his wife JoAnn and their daughter Lisa did not.
The Coast Guard is now issuing its final report on the accident.
In the report, the Coast Guard lists a number of factors that led to the pontoon boat capsizing, including wind, waves, passenger weight and a decision to turn the boat into the wind.
"The Coast Guard's primary focus is on ensuring the safety of the passengers who do go on those vessels," said Commander Charlie Rawson, U.S. Coast Guard.
As a result, the Coast Guard is recommending some changes, including adjusting the average passenger weight size and allowing fewer people on board. They also want to ensure all vessels are tested regularly for stability to find which ones are at a higher risk of overturning.
The findings of the report agree with the conclusions made in a 2006 report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The Coast Guard plans to discuss their report in detail later Wednesday morning.
The National Weather Service has also weighed in on the tragedy, concluding its forecasters did not give timely warnings of the advancing storm.
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