Two Tugboat Crew Members Killed in Alaska Barge Confined-Space Incident

Overview

• Four crew entered a confined space on the freight barge Waynehoe on Sunday about 25 miles northwest of Ketchikan, where two died and two survived.
• The tug Chukchi Sea crew called for help, recovered one body, and helped two survivors out before responders arrived.
• The barge was towed to a pier in Ketchikan to allow a safe operation, and the second body was recovered there on March 17.
• The deceased were identified by the Coast Guard as Ben Fowler and Sidney Mohorovich, while the two survivors were later reported to be in good condition.
• Causes of death have not been released and the bodies were sent to Anchorage for autopsies, as relatives reported unconfirmed information about methane in the space.