1968 — Dec 7, USCG White Alder sinks, collision with SS Helena, Head of Passes, MS Riv., LA–17

–17 Independent Press-Telegram, Long Beach, CA. “17 Missing in Ship Collision,” 12-8-1968, p. 1.
–17 USCG/NTSC. Marine Casualty Rpt. USCG White Alder…Helena…Collision…MS Riv. 1969.

Narrative Information:

NTSB Synopsis: “The upbound SS Helena (Taiwan) and downbound CGC White Alder collided at mile 195.6 Above Head of Passes in the Mississippi River near Bayou Goula, Louisiana, at 1829 c.s.t. on December 7, 1968. As a result of this collision, the CGC White Alder (a buoy tender) was overrun and sank within approximately a minute of the collision.

“Seventeen of the 20 crewmembers of the White Alder were trapped in the sunken vessel, and three crewmembers survived. Two bodies were recovered from the pilothouse by diving operations. The remaining victims are still missing. The hull has settled below the river bottom; salvage operations were not successful. Damage to the SS Helena was minor.

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this casualty was the White Alder’s abrupt change of course across the bow of the Helena for unknown reasons. Also contributing to this collision were: the failure of the pilot of the Helena to sound the danger signal as soon as uncertainty developed concerning the other vessel’s intentions; the failure of the officer in charge of the White Alder to sound a danger signal, followed by a proposed passing signal on the whistle, when the vessels were within one-half of a mile of each other; the failure of the pilot of the Helena to slacken speed, stop and reverse when risk of collision became apparent; and the failure of the commanding officer of the White Alder to reduce speed, stop, and reverse prior to the collision. Other causal factors were: the failure of the White Alder to respond to the bridge-to-bridge radiotelephone communications initiated by the pilot of the Helena; failure of the White Alder to respond to the Helena’s proposed one-blast passing whistle signal; the failure of both vessels’ bridge personnel to make proper use of the available radar information; the sharp bend in the river at Bayou Goula Towhead; and the tendency for the current and wind to push the Helena’s bow to her port in making the turn.

“The heavy loss of life on the White Alder was due to her being overrun by the Helena, and rapid sinking, trapping the Coast Guardsmen inside the hull….” (pp. 1-2)

“These [three] survivors managed to escape from the sinking vessel and clung to buoys until rescued, about a half hour later.” (p. 4.)

Newspaper:

Dec 8: “White Castle, La. (AP) – A freighter collided with a Coast Guard vessel on the mile-wide Mississippi River here Saturday night. Seventeen men from the Coast Guard vessel were reported missing in the cold, swift water. State police said the buoy tender White Alder, a 1330foot vessel with a crew of 20, sank almost immediately after colliding with a 400-foot freighter Helena…

“Three crewmen of the White Alder were pulled from the water and taken to a hospital in White Castle. They were reported in good condition. ‘I heard a noise and then it sent down,’ one of the rescued crewmen was quoted as telling Sheriff Bo Williams of Iberville Parish. ‘It looks like the Coast Guard cutter was cut in two,’ Williams said. Williams said the three crewmen were found clinging to a buoy and were picked up by a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers boat. ‘They were freezing,’ Williams said of the three crewmen. Temperatures were in the 40s; there was a sharp northerly wind.

“The Coast Guard in New Orleans said it could only identify the survivors as Boatswain 2nd Class Krass, Seaman’s Apprentice Miller and Fireman Kotowski….

“The White Alder was based at New Orleans….” (Independent Press-Telegram, Long Beach, CA. “Coast Guard Tender. 17 Missing in Ship Collision,” 12-8-1968, p. 1.)

Sources

Independent Press-Telegram, Long Beach, CA. “Coast Guard Tender. 17 Missing in Ship Collision,” 12-8-1968, p. 1. Accessed 4-6-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/independent-press-telegram-dec-08-1968-p-1/

United States Coast Guard, Marine Board of Investigation. Marine Casualty Report. USCG White Alder – SS Helena (Taiwan) Collision in the Mississippi River on 7 December 1968 (U.S. Coast5 Guard Marine Board of Investigation Report and Commandant’s Action. Action by National Transportation Safety Board. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Transportation. December 3, 1969. 31 pages. Accessed 4-6-2022 at: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/CG-5PC/INV/docs/boards/whitealderhelena.pdf