Her primary missions are Aids to . Then as the two ships backed away from each other, the chain became taut. But I put it in Gods hands. Concurring with the marine board's determination of the cause, the Commandant emphasized in his "Action" that the failure of the persons in charge of both vessels to ascertain the intentions of the other through the exchange of appropriate whistle signals was the primary contributing cause. Blackthorn was initially assigned to the Great Lakes for ice-breaking duties, but after only a few months, she was reassigned to San Pedro, California. (On Tuesdays anniversary, the Coast Guard will remember the tragedy with its own event.) But George's life was cut short on Jan. 28, 1980 when the USCGC Blackthorn collided with a tanker and sank in the mouth of Tampa Bay. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0 . Meanwhile the tanker Capricorn was standing into the bay. USCGC Blackthorn being raised, in July 1980. Wartime: 1 3"/50 caliber single mount These matters were referred to the commanders of the Seventh and Eighth Coast Guard Districts for further investigation and appropriate action. Tuesday marks the 40th anniversary of the Blackthorn Cutter colliding with the tanker vessel Capricorn near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Jan. 28, 1980, resulting in the deaths of 23 of the 50 Blackthorn crewmembers. The USCGC Blackthorn (WLB-391) was a 180-foot (55 m) seagoing buoy tender (WLB) which sank in 1980 in a tragic collision near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge of Tampa Bay, resulting in 23 crew member fatalities. In 2000 he was posthumously awarded the Coast Guard Medal, the service's highest award for heroism in peacetime. Before Mondays ceremony, Bobby Flores read about the Blackthorn on Wikipedia. [4] The cutter was raised for the investigation, but ultimately was scuttled in the Gulf of Mexico after the investigation was complete. Commander Sepel, as he had made an inexperienced junior officer (Ensign Ryan) officer of the deck and allowed him to navigate the ship through an unfamiliar waterway with heavy traffic. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS (Some contend that the brightly lit passenger vessel obscured the ability of the crews of Blackthorn and Capricorn to see each other.). What: Coast Guard commemorates 40th anniversary of Blackthorn Tragedy, Location: Blackthorn Memorial Site FL-55, the southbound Pinellas County side of the Sunshine Skyway rest area, St. Petersburg, Florida 33752. [4] The cutter was raised for the investigation, and was scuttled in the Gulf of Mexico after the investigation was complete. However, Capricorn's anchor was ready to be let go. As our nations Coast Guard, you secure our ports and waterways, interdict drug smugglers, lead search and rescue missions, and respond to national emergencies. His family was presented with the Medal on 28 January 2000, the 20th anniversary of the tragedy. The crew of USCGC JOHN SCHEURMAN continues the streak of excellence in the Arabian Sealeading yet another U.S. Coast Guard interdiction of illicit Liked by Fernando Gutierrez After less than ten minutes, the vessel was sunk, 23 of its crew of 50 lost. The force of the much larger ship pulling on it, caused Blackthorn to tip on her side until she suddenly capsized. PO1 Subrino I Avila Flowers have been left. Though collision was imminent, initial damage was not extensive. George was fresh out of basic training and the USCGC Blackthorn was his first assignment. Frye, a Blackthorn crew member for just 12 days, was below deck on the evening of Jan. 28, 1980, when the . And in 2012, the Coast Guard dubbed a vessel the Coast Guard Cutter William Flores. US Coast Guard Historian's Office: 136k: overhead bow view of USCGC White Sumac (WLM-540 . Seaman Apprentice Flores died aboard Blackthorn. To those who traveled to join usthank you for being here to honor the brave men lost forty years ago today. Unable to make radio contact with Blackthorn, Capricorn's pilot blew two short whistle blasts to have the ships pass starboard-to-starboard. [1][2][3] An Iris-class vessel, she was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. Hes going to come back a man, Richard Flores said. She currently serves as an artificial reef for recreational diving and fishing. 'This is tough': 3 killed, including 2 young children, in Hillsborough County fire, Hillsborough deputy helps rescue father, daughter stranded in water for almost an hour, 10 Weather: Showers early Monday then clearing skies, FWC: Boat captain killed by lightning strike in Brevard County, It's been 41 years since the deadly Blackthorn collision in Tampa Bay, Memorial service honors victims of 1980 Blackthorn tragedy. An Iris-class vessel, she was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Blackthorn's captain, Lieutenant Commander George Sepel had departed the bridge to investigate a problem with the newly installed propulsion shaft. It tore into the cutters hull, then pulled the ship down. Earlier the cutter had been overtaken by the Kazakhstan, a Russian passenger ship. With the Blackthorn's officer of the deck (Ensign Ryan) confused in regard to the standard operating procedure and rules of navigation, Blackthorn's captain issued orders for evasive action. We remember and we honor the crew of Cutter Blackthorn; both those surviving and those lost. Coast Guardsmen and women today are still performing this vital mission here in the Port of Tampa. The Blackthorn sank, taking 23 crewmen with her. Military Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Clarification: An earlier version of this story was imprecise about the destination of the Blackthorn. Blackthorn's preliminary design was completed by the United States Lighthouse Service and the final design was produced by Marine Iron and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth. The Blackthorn collision has forever changed the Coast Guard and provided lessons on risk management and training. On January 28, 1980, the USCGC Blackthorn collided with a tanker in Tampa Bay, Florida.Seaman Apprentice William Flores, just eighteen years old and a year out of boot camp, stayed on board as the cutter sank, strapping the life jacket locker open with his belt, giving his own life jacket to those struggling in the water, and giving aid to those wounded on board. His grandfather, Robert, and uncle, Sam, served in the Navy. By kjfitz @ 2010-12-06 12:05:55. In the end the primary responsibility for the collision was placed with Commander Sepel as he had permitted an inexperienced junior officer to conn the ship in an unfamiliar waterway with heavy traffic. This mission is absolutely critical to facilitating commerce safely. I have found no finer public servants anywhere in the United States Government. Its still in service today. - I/ For more detailed information read, "Marine Accident Report--Collision of USCGC BLACKTHORN and U.S. Tankship CAPRICORN, Tampa, Florida, Januarv 28, 1980 (N TSR . LCDR George Sepel, the captain [] (The Coast Guard Tug Association WILL NOT provide or "sell" its Member List and contact information to any other organization without proper authority) CGTA MEMBERSHIP. As the Blackthorn capsized, Flores stayed aboard, throwing life jackets to his fellow seamen. Hes going to take care of him.. Skip past search results. 11 memorials. The Blackthorn, which was homeported in Galveston, Texas, lost 23 of its 50 crewmembers in the Coast Guard's worst peacetime disaster. In 19791980, Blackthorn underwent a major overhaul in Tampa, Florida. Damage to the Blackthorn from the initial impact was not extensive. All but one of the original tenders, USCGCIronwood(WLB-297), were built in Duluth. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla Exactly 42 years ago, 23 crew members aboard the U.S Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn lost their lives after colliding with a tanker in Tampa Bay. SA Flores, who had been out of boot camp just one year, opened the life jacket locker as Blackthorn capsized, securing its hatch open with his belt, and made sure that his shipmates were able to access and use the life jackets. UPDATED 6:08 PM ET Jan. 28, 2020. Meanwhile the tanker Capricorn was standing into the bay. Even given all of those factors, the initial collision between the two ships wasnt catastrophic. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - On January 28, 1980, the Coast Guard buoy tender Blackthorn passed under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the black of night. Today marks the 41st anniversary of the sinking of the 180 buoy tender, US Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) BLACKTHORN. Meanwhile the tanker Capricorn was standing into the bay. Blackthorn was one of 39 original 180-foot (55m) seagoing buoy tenders built between 1942 and 1944. US Coast Guard photo. Additionally, Admiral Hayes pointed out that attempts to establish a passing agreement by using only radiotelephone communications failed to be an adequate substitute for exchanging proper whistle signals. or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Blackthornand the U.S. tankship Capricorncollided in Tampa Bay near the junction of Cut 'A' and Mullet Key Channels. She was used as an ice breaker in the Great Lakes. A lock Blackthorn was one of 39 original 180-foot (55m) seagoing buoy tenders built between 1942-1944. Capricorn began to turn left, but this course would not allow Capricorn and Blackthorn to pass port-to-port, as the rules of navigation generally required. In fact, he is the epitome of the motto Semper Paratus, and I am proud to serve our Nation with him. Blackthorn was one of 39 original 180-foot (55m) seagoing buoy tenders built between 1942 and 1944. As our nations Coast Guard, you courageously head out on dark and stormy nights so that others may live. (Please note the red text denotes those Purple Hearts already awarded or in progress.) Blackthorn sunk at the mouth of Tampa Bay, 28 January 1980. Thats how old Seaman Apprentice William Flores was when he heroically went down with his ship. Several crew members who had just reported aboard tried to escape and in the process trapped themselves in the engine room. 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