Guardians,
On Sunday, December 20th, a collision between a Sector San Diego based 33 foot boat and a 24 foot Sea Ray occurred in the vicinity of a holiday boat parade. Despite the best efforts of rescue crews, an 8 year old boy on the Sea Ray tragically died from injuries sustained during the collision. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Anthony DeWeese and the other passengers injured during this accident.
This incident is being thoroughly investigated and greater details on the causal factors will be determined and made public. The Coast Guard is committed to establishing the facts of how this accident occurred, using that information to prevent a similar accident in the future, and providing a full accounting to the families, the public, and our own people.
Last night, RDML Castillo, the Commander of the 11th Coast Guard District, provided a statement to local media and answered questions regarding the investigatory process. He has also provided a guest post which is included below.
We will publish more information as soon as we are able. Until then, whether you are on liberty or on duty, make safety your top priority.
ADM A
Guest Post from RDML Joseph Castillo (Commander, 11th Coast Guard District):
A terrible tragedy occurred in San Diego Bay Sunday night as a Coast Guard 33 footer and a 24 foot civilian pleasure craft collided. Six people on the recreational boat were injured and one of them, an eight year old boy, died at the hospital. I cannot find words adequate to express the level of sorrow and grief the Coast Guard community shares with the family of the child lost in this accident, and we pray for the recovery of the injured.
As an emergency response and law enforcement agency, we must continually earn and maintain the confidence and trust of the boating public and the communities we serve. A tragic incident such as Sunday's crash can shake the public's confidence and erode their trust. So it is important we find out, share, and act on what happened. And we will do that.
We will do that through several internal and external investigations. Together, these will identify root causes and determine responsibility, to avoid repetition of this tragedy.
Shortly after learning of the crash I requested the National Transportation Safety Board be asked to conduct an investigation to assure full transparency and public accountability. These investigators are in place and will scrutinize every aspect of this case to determine what went wrong. While Coast Guard Marine Safety professionals are assisting them with data and evidence collection, it is important to note that this is an independent body.
The San Diego Harbor Police is also conducting an investigation in accordance with State requirements. We have Coast Guard Investigative Service Special Agents working side by side with them in the process.
As the cognizant District Commander I have initiated an internal investigation in accordance with the Administrative Investigations Manual to provide me with the information I need to make appropriate decisions on safety and accountability for what occurred. This includes documenting the events that led to the accident and identifying any procedural or accountability issues. The team lead for this has extensive small boat experience in operating, training, and evaluating small boat programs.
We want to get to the facts as quickly as possible through a deliberative process. As we wait for investigators to complete their work (conduct interviews, review records and data, perform technical analyses, and prepare their reports), it is important to allow that deliberative process to take place without speculation or conjecture. In the meantime I assure our emergency response partners, the public, and the men and women under my command that we will not falter in our duties. We will redouble our commitment to safety and service to the public and continue to earn their trust and respect. Our crews remain on watch, ready to help those in distress, ever mindful of their duty to protect the public.
My personal thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this tragedy, their loved ones, and friends,
Sincerely,
RDML Joseph "Pepe" Castillo
Commander, Eleventh District
