On April 20, multiple Cooper/T. Smith (CTS) Mooring boats were at work on the Mississippi River when the unthinkable happened. While securing ship mooring lines to the head buoy at Darrow, Mile 179, a Mooring boat capsized, plummeting its four crew members into the dangerous waterway.

Aboard the capsized boat were Brandon Barreca, Lineman; Catlin Langlinais, Senior Boat Operator; Andrew Wahlen, Lineman; and Joseph Stubbe, Lineman.

“The ship’s lines tightened up and it felt like we were yanked backward, toward the ship,” Barreca recalled. “That’s when the boat tumbled over.”

Fortunately for the capsized crew, a secondary Mooring boat was on hand – a safety measure in place to safeguard against such an incident -- performing backup boat duties.

“Jason Kanz and I were on the backup boat,” said Gary Marino, Sr., Senior Boat Operator and head of the Safety Committee. “We saw the ship stop slacking its lines and then the launch boat went sideways. With a high river and strong current pushing against them while carrying tight lines, the guys couldn’t just drive out of it.”

Jason Kanz, also a Senior Boat Operator, remembered, “Gary and I heard the port motor come up out of the water. Within seconds, the starboard bow dipped down and the boat rolled over.”

Thanks to the alertness and quick actions of the backup crew, the capsized team was saved.

Aboard the backup boat, the crew had prepped the vessel with “grab” or “dog” lines hanging over the side in the event of a man overboard. When the capsized crew swam over and took the pre-placed lines, the backup boat maneuvered to a safe position away from the cargo ship and its assisting tugs. Once in this safe location, the backup crew carefully pulled each team member aboard.

“Thank God we had veterans on the backup boat,” Langlinais declared. “Gary went out of his way before the job to put extra dog lines on every boat cleat, which played a pivotal role in our rescue. Jason was operating the boat, and he never once panicked. He made sure the boat was in the perfect position to pick us up.”

While this event could easily have resulted in tragedy, thanks to regular CTS Mooring safety drills and water rescue training, our mariners possessed the skills and professionalism needed to perform under real-world pressure to save lives.

“I feel like all the hours of training we do paid off,” Langlinais shared. “Every guy on that job used his training and knew what needed to be done. Because of that, we’re all alive today.”

“I’ve learned to never turn my back on this river,” Barreca admitted. “We can sometimes get complacent out here, but it’s dangerous. I, for one, have newfound respect for the river.”

Thanks to the CTS Mooring team and all Cooper Group employees for your commitment to safety.