Crew of Tug HELEN MORAN and Moran Towing of Texas Receive Coast Guard Commendation

The Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation was presented to the crewof the tug HELEN MORAN for their role in helping to safely resolve the dangerous situation resulting from the unexpected fire onboard the towboat KATY P on December 14, 19999, in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

Moran's tug HELEN MORAN came upon the unmanned KATY P floating midstream in the Sabine-Neches Channel, spewing flames and smoke. The KATY P had been pushing two empty cyclohexane barges when a fire started in her engine room. The six-person crew abandoned the towboat and boarded one of the barges, which they pushed against the Port Arthur sea wall.

Under the command of Captain Stephen Williams, the HELEN MORAN responded immediately by pushing the abondoned towboat into the mud on the Pleasure Island side of the Sabine-Neches Channel. The HELEN MOREAN then went to the released barges to hold them to the bank and ensure the safety of the KATY P's crew pending the arrival of the U.S. Coast Guard. The USCG subsequently used the HELEN MORAN to transport various fire-fighting equipment and to act as its staging and command platform area for the fire-response team. The Coast guard allowed the fire to burn all night to consume any flammable materials on board. The fire was extinguished early on December 15, 1999.

The crew of the HELEN MORAN is proud to have been part of the KATY P Fire Response Force Team, working with the Port Arthur Fire Department, WIlliams Fire & Hazard, the Texas General Land Office and various other response agencies. Crew members on board the HELEN MORAN during the incident were Captain Stephen Williams. Engineer, Wade Conners; Tommy Bammert and Alan Self, Quarter Masters and Gerald LaBove and Adam Paskiewicz, Deckhands. In addition to receiving the Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation, Captain G. W. Anderson, Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Port Arthur, expressed a special thank you to all of the crew members for helping to ensure the safety of the port while preventing the loss of life and long-term harm to the environment.