Two tugboat crew members have died after getting trapped in a confined space in Alaska. Meanwhile, two others were injured. The incident happened over the weekend.
At this time, details are a bit limited on exactly what happened. But apparently, the four crew members were in a confined space on the freight barge Waynehoe. That's when the rest of the crew on the tug, Chukchi Sea, lost contact. They then alerted the Coast Guard to come to their rescue. Based on current details from the parents of Sidney Mohorovich, one of the deceased, methane gas may have played a role in his death.
"We don't know why the series of events that led to all the people being in the confined space, if they all like went down as a team or in separate stages," Todd Mohorovich told The Associated Press. "I have no information on that, but what I can tell you is that the confined space had high levels of methane gas in it."
Crew Members Die in Confined Space
The family had spoken to their son just a day prior. Sidney warned the weather wasn't the best. The crew planned to make sure everything was secure. "He said that the barge was in a spot where they were going to be able to be sheltered from that storm," Todd Mohorovich said.
Two of the crew members survived and managed to escape the confined space. Sadly, two of them passed away before help could come. The other who died was later identified as Ben Fowler. The exact cause of death has not been revealed. Mohorovich had been working with Hamilton Marine Construction for just a month. The crew member had been looking forward to his upcoming wedding.
"He could pretty much figure anything out," his mother said. "He was loved by so many. Just an exceptional human being, smarty, witty, funny, loving."
"We're just really thankful for who he was," Todd Mohorovich said. "I wouldn't change a thing in the life that we've all shared together, regardless of this the tragedy at this time. If we were to change something, it would lead to other changes that we don't know about."
