Coast Guard Probes Methane-Suspected Confined-Space Deaths of Two Tugboat Crew on Alaska Barge
The Coast Guard is investigating a confined-space incident on a barge off Alaska that left two tugboat crew members dead and two others escaped after four crew entered the compartment while securing the barge ahead of an approaching storm. Family members say Coast Guard officials told them the space had high methane levels, though the service has not publicly confirmed that; one body was recovered at sea and the second after the barge was towed to Ketchikan and made safe, and one victim was identified as 28-year-old Sidney “Sid” Mohorovich.
📌 Key Facts
- Two tugboat crew members died after entering a confined space on a barge off Alaska; the U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the incident.
- Four crew members entered the confined space while performing normal deck duties to secure the barge ahead of an approaching storm.
- Parents of victim Sidney "Sid" Mohorovich say Coast Guard officials told them the confined space contained high levels of methane gas; the Coast Guard has not publicly confirmed methane as a cause.
- A tugboat crew recovered one victim’s body at sea and helped both surviving crew members escape; the barge was towed to Ketchikan, where the second body was recovered after the space was made safe.
- Victim Sidney "Sid" Mohorovich was 28, about one month into a new job with Hamilton Marine Construction, on his first Alaska assignment, and was engaged to be married in June.
📊 Relevant Data
The most common ethnicity of ship workers in the US is White (75.2%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (8.9%), Black or African American (6.9%), and Unknown (4.7%), compared to the US population where Whites make up about 59%, Hispanics 19%, and Blacks 13%.
In 2017, the occupational fatality rate in Alaska was 10.2 deaths per 100,000 workers, nearly three times the US national rate of 3.5 deaths per 100,000 workers.
Persistent and Emerging Hazards Contributing to Work-Related Fatalities in Alaska: An Update — PMC (National Library of Medicine)
In 2023, males accounted for 90 percent of work-related fatalities in Alaska, while nationally wage and salary workers comprised 83 percent of fatalities.
Fatal Work Injuries in Alaska — 2023 — Bureau of Labor Statistics
Methane gas in confined spaces on ships can originate from trapped gases in cargoes like coal during the coal forming process, leading to self-heating and explosion risks.
Carriage of coal cargoes: Self-heating and explosion risks — Skuld
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Parents of victim Sidney "Sid" Mohorovich say Coast Guard officials told them the confined space contained high levels of methane gas, though the service has not publicly confirmed this.
- The article provides additional narrative detail: the four crew members were performing normal deck duties to secure the barge ahead of an approaching storm when they entered the confined space.
- It clarifies that the tugboat crew recovered one victim’s body at sea and helped both surviving crew escape before the barge was towed to Ketchikan, where the second body was recovered after the space was made safe.
- The piece adds biographical details on Mohorovich, including that he was 28, one month into a new job with Hamilton Marine Construction, on his first Alaska job, and engaged to be married in June.