PHYLLIS DUNLAP

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Tug on fire and in collision

Several Honolulu-based Coast Gaurd units responded to a fire on the "Phyllis Dunlap" approximately 69 miles northwest of Maui in the evening of Dec 5, 2012. Watchstanders in the Sector Honolulu Command Center received a mayday call from the tug at approximately 2 p.m. During a transit from Seattle to Honolulu, an engineer aboard reported hearing a fire alarm. The tug experienced a disabling engine room fire that resulted in a complete loss of propulsion. The captain activated the engine room's fixed fire suppression system, which was believed to have extinguished the fire, at 2:30 p.m. All six crewmembers were reportedly safe and accounted for with no medical concerns. Coast Guard aircrews aboard an HC-130 Hercules airplane and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter were launched from Air Station Barbers Point to assist at 2:05 p.m. The crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter "Galveston Island" was diverted to render assistance at 2:28 p.m. A nearby vessel, the "Mahi Mahi", was also requested to assist with the response. The Hercules crew arrived on scene at 3 p.m. and the Dolphin crew arrived on scene at 3:20 p.m. The "Galveston Island" crew arrived at 9 p.m. After assessing the damage, the "Phyllis Dunlap" crew was advised to stay aboard their vessel. A Sause Brothers assist tug, the "Kokua", arrived and established a tow, at 10:15 p.m. The "Phyllis Dunlap" crew was scheduled to arrive in Honolulu between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Dec 7. At the time of the fire, the tug was towing the barge "Westward Trader", which collided with the tug when its engines were disabled. The damage to both tug and barge was superficial.