Two Tugboat Workers Die in Confined Space Accident in Alaska Waters

Two crew members from a tugboat died and two others were injured in a confined space incident aboard a freight barge near Ketchikan, Alaska. The victims' families say Coast Guard officials told them methane gas was present in the confined area where the accident occurred.

Two tugboat workers lost their lives and two others sustained injuries during what Coast Guard officials are calling a confined space emergency on a freight barge anchored in Alaska waters over the weekend.

The tragic incident unfolded Sunday aboard the freight barge Waynehoe, which was anchored roughly 25 miles northwest of Ketchikan. Four crew members from the tugboat Chukchi Sea entered a restricted area on the barge when their colleagues lost communication with them, according to a Coast Guard statement released Wednesday.

Family members of victim Sidney Mohorovich revealed that Coast Guard personnel informed them methane gas was detected in the confined area where the accident took place.

“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 explained during a phone interview from his Sedro-Woolley, Washington residence. “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.”

The source and reason for the gas presence remains unknown. Coast Guard representatives have not yet confirmed the methane gas details.

Todd and Eva Mohorovich had their final conversation with their son Saturday evening, when he mentioned approaching severe weather conditions. “He said that the barge was in a spot where they were going to be able to be sheltered from that storm,” Todd Mohorovich recalled.

The work crew had intended to complete routine deck maintenance to secure equipment before the storm arrived.

According to federal maritime rules, a confined space on a vessel means “a compartment of small size and limited access such as a double bottom tank … or other space which by its small size and confined nature can readily create or aggravate a hazardous exposure.” Such areas may have insufficient oxygen levels.

Tugboat crew members contacted the Coast Guard for emergency assistance and successfully retrieved one deceased worker from the area while helping the two survivors escape before rescue teams reached the scene.

The barge was subsequently transported to Ketchikan, where the confined space “was able to be safely cleared for the recovery of the second deceased crew member,” Coast Guard spokesperson Alexander Ransom explained in an email statement.

Autopsy results are pending, and the bodies have been transported to Anchorage. Official causes of death have not been disclosed.

Sidney Mohorovich, age 28, had been working for Hamilton Marine Construction for just one month when the accident occurred.

The construction company has not responded to requests for comment.

This marked Mohorovich’s first assignment in Alaska. The large equipment mechanic resided in Deming, Washington, with his fiancée as they prepared for their June wedding ceremony.

His work background included logging and welding, plus experience in home construction and electrical systems. “He could pretty much figure anything out,” his mother remembered.

“He was loved by so many,” Eva Mohorovich said, describing her son’s friendly nature. “Just an exceptional human being, smarty, witty, funny, loving.”

His father emphasized his son’s generous spirit and willingness to assist others in need.

“We’re just really thankful for who he was,” Todd Mohorovich stated. “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.”

The two surviving crew members are reportedly in good condition, according to Ransom, who updated their status from the previously reported stable condition. The second fatality has been identified as Ben Fowler.