Summary

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the deaths of two tugboat crew members after a confined space incident aboard the freight barge Waynehoe moored in southeast Alaska, authorities said. The Coast Guard said two other crew members were injured in the incident last weekend near Ketchikan.

The Coast Guard said the barge was moored about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Ketchikan when crew members from the tugboat Chukchi Sea lost contact with them inside the confined space on Sunday. A Coast Guard news release provided limited details about what happened to the four people, but said the tug crew managed to respond before the rescue team arrived.

Todd Mohorovich, whose son Sidney Mohorovich was identified as one of the victims, said Coast Guard officials told the family methane gas was present in the confined space. “We don’t know why the series of events that led to all the people being in the confined space, if they all like went down as a team or in separate stages,” Todd Mohorovich told The Associated Press by phone from his home in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. “I have no information on that, but what I can tell you is that the confined space had high levels of methane gas in it.”

Mohorovich’s father said he did not know where the methane came from or why it was present. He said the Coast Guard did not immediately respond to an email seeking confirmation of the presence of methane gas.

In the days leading up to the deaths, Mohorovich’s parents said the last conversation with him took place Saturday night, when he discussed impending bad weather. Todd Mohorovich said his son told them the barge was in a spot where the crew would be sheltered from the storm and that the plan was to perform normal deck duties to make sure everything was secured ahead of the weather.

Federal regulations define “confined space” on a vessel as “a compartment of small size and limited access such as a double bottom tank … or other space which by its small size and confined nature can readily create or aggravate a hazardous exposure,” which could include a lack of oxygen. The Coast Guard said the tugboat crew called for help, recovered one dead crew member from the space, and helped the two survivors out before the rescue team arrived.

The Coast Guard said the barge was then towed to Ketchikan. Coast Guard spokesperson Alexander Ransom told AP in an email that the confined space “was able to be safely cleared for the recovery of the second deceased crew member.” Ransom also said the two survivors were in good condition, changing their status from stable as earlier advised by the Coast Guard.

The causes of death were not released by the Coast Guard, and the bodies were sent to Anchorage for autopsies. Sidney Mohorovich was 28 and was one month into a new job with Hamilton Marine Construction, according to his family. His family said he had been involved in jobs ranging from logging and welding to learning how to build houses and do electrical work. “He could pretty much figure anything out,” his mother said, and Eva Mohorovich said her son was “loved by so many” and remembered as “Just an exceptional human being, smarty, witty, funny, loving.” Company officials did not return a message seeking comment.

A second man killed in the incident was identified as Ben Fowler.