Coast Guard Suspends Vineyard SSA Captain

The United States Coast Guard confirmed yesterday that it has
suspended the license of an experienced Steamship Authority captain for
negligence in an alarming accident during a man overboard drill on the
ferry Islander last year.

Lieut. John Winter, a senior marine investigator and marine safety
officer based in Providence, R.I., said Capt. David Dandridge turned in his
license last Wednesday for a 30-day suspension.

The actual suspension will run for 21 days because Mr. Dandridge was
suspended for nine days by the Steamship Authority earlier in connection
with the accident.

Lieutenant Winter said the license suspension is a settlement
between Mr. Dandridge and the Coast Guard in a case that was due to go
to a hearing before an administrative law judge. The Coast Guard was
initially seeking a 60-day suspension, he said.

A boat line crew member nearly drowned in the incident, which took
place on August 4 of last year.

"The root cause of the casualty was lack of communication
between crew and captain on a series of levels," Lieutenant Winter
said.

The man overboard drill had been previously planned and a chief
warrant officer for the Coast Guard was on board the Islander when she
began her return trip from the Vineyard to Woods Hole that day.

The drill involves the use of a rescue boat and a mannequin that is
thrown over the side of the ferry to simulate a person falling into the
water.

The drill began smoothly enough - the mannequin was thrown
into the water by the Coast Guard officer and a 13-foot rescue boat with
an outboard motor was lowered alongside the Islander. Two able-bodied
seamen - Barry Brooks and Mark Laliberte - climbed into the
rescue boat, which was connected to the large ferry by sea painters,
ropes usually used at the bow of a boat.

There were 232 passengers on board the ferry at the time.

According to a later Coast Guard report, Captain Dandridge left the
forward wheelhouse of the Islander, moved to the aft wheelhouse and
began to steam the ferry back toward the mannequin. The rescue boat was
still connected to the ferry, and it began to drag and take on water.

The rescue boat filled with water and flipped over. Mr. Brooks went
under with the boat, his leg entangled in a line. A passenger on board
the ferry jumped overboard and swam underneath the rescue boat, freeing
Mr. Brooks from the tangled line. Mr. Brooks was unconscious and was
transported to shore by a Vineyard Haven Yacht Club committee boat which
was nearby at the time of the mishap.

Mr. Brooks was hospitalized and later recovered.

"Captain Dandridge was charged with negligence to the safety
of his crew. There were things he could have and should have done to
protect his crew and he didn't take those actions,"
Lieutenant Winter said.

He said letters of warning were also issued to two crewmen, the mate
and the bosun for misconduct during the incident.

The Coast Guard investigation into the incident is now closed.