Two crew members of a tugboat were killed and two others injured in a confined space incident aboard a barge moored in southeast Alaska last weekend, the US Coast Guard confirmed on Wednesday. The incident occurred on the freight barge Waynehoe, approximately 25 miles northwest of Ketchikan, when crew from the tug Chukchi Sea lost contact with four colleagues who had entered a confined space.
The parents of victim Sidney Mohorovich, 28, said Coast Guard officials informed them that high levels of methane gas were present in the confined space. Todd Mohorovich, Sidney's father, told the Associated Press: 'We don’t know why the series of events that led to all the people being in the confined space... but what I can tell you is that the confined space had high levels of methane gas in it.' The source of the gas remains unknown, and the Coast Guard has not confirmed its presence.
The crew managed to recover one deceased crew member and assist the two survivors before rescue teams arrived. The barge was towed to Ketchikan, where the space was safely cleared to recover the second body. The victims were identified as Sidney Mohorovich and Ben Fowler. The two survivors are reported to be in good condition.
Sidney Mohorovich, a large equipment mechanic from Deming, Washington, had been with Hamilton Marine Construction for just one month and was on his first job in Alaska. He was engaged to be married in June. His mother, Eva Mohorovich, described him as 'an exceptional human being, smarty, witty, funny, loving.' His father added, 'We’re just really thankful for who he was.'
The causes of death have not been released, and the bodies have been sent to Anchorage for autopsies. The Coast Guard continues to investigate the incident.
