Vote 1 comment Best Add a Comment An Iris-class vessel, she was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. Wartime: 1 3"/50 caliber single mount Thats how many years its been since the Coast Guard suffered the worst peacetime tragedy in its history. He talked with his family about the account of Larry Clutter, who served with his uncle on the Blackthorn. Bruce Lafond was drowned when the Blackthorn capsized. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The marine board found evidence of violation of various navigation laws on the parts of Capricorn's master and pilot. His family was presented with the Medal on 28 January 2000, the 20th anniversary of the tragedy. In the end the primary responsibility for the collision was placed with Commander Sepel as he had permitted an inexperienced junior officer to conn the ship in an unfamiliar waterway with heavy traffic. Seaman Apprentice Flores died aboard Blackthorn. Blackthorn, Axe: Bullock, John: 12/3/17: Tamaroa: 86-91: Burton, Darrell: 9/10/18: Ojibwa : Byer, Howard: 3-26-18: Ojibwa: 75 . References Several crew members who had just reported aboard tried to escape and in the process trapped themselves in the engine room. Meanwhile, the tanker Capricorn, owned by Kingston Shipping Company and operated by Apex Marine Corporation of New York, was standing (traveling with right-of-way) into the bay. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0 . ST. PETERSBURG, Fla Exactly 42 years ago, 23 crew members aboard the U.S Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn lost their lives after colliding with a tanker in Tampa Bay. As our nations Coast Guard, you courageously head out on dark and stormy nights so that others may live. An Iris-class vessel, she was built by Marine Ironworks and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth, Minnesota. She served in San Pedro for several years before being brought into the gulf coast region to serve in Mobile, Alabama then transferred to Galveston, Texas for the final years of her service until the accident. On 21 May 1943 the keel was laid, she was launched on 20 July 1943 and commissioned on 27 March 1944. She currently serves as an artificial reef for recreational diving and fishing. Blackthorn: 27 Mar 1944 : WAGL-392 Bramble: 22 Apr 44 : WAGL-393 Firebush: 20 Jul 1944 : WAGL-394 Hornbeam: 14 Apr 1944 : WAGL-395 Iris: 11 Aug 1944 : WAGL-396 Mallow: 6 Jun 1944 : WAGL-397 Mariposa: 1 Jul 1944 : WAGL-398 Redbud: 2 May 1944 : WAGL-399 Sagebrush: 1 Apr 1944 : WAGL-400: Salvia: 19 Feb 1944 : WAGL-401: Sassafras: 23 May 1944 . The captain was on the bridge, but a junior officer had the conn. Having been overtaken by the Russian passenger ship Kazakhstan, Blackthorn continued almost in mid-channel. Citizenship And Immigration Services Ombudsman, This page was not helpful because the content, Acting Secretary Wolf Commemorates USCG Blackthorn Memorial. The force of the much larger ship pulling on it, caused Blackthorn to tip on her side until she suddenly capsized. (Some contend that the brightly lit passenger vessel obscured the ability of the crews of Blackthorn and Capricorn to see each other.). 'This is tough': 3 killed, including 2 young children, in Hillsborough County fire, Hillsborough deputy helps rescue father, daughter stranded in water for almost an hour, 10 Weather: Showers early Monday then clearing skies, FWC: Boat captain killed by lightning strike in Brevard County, It's been 41 years since the deadly Blackthorn collision in Tampa Bay, Memorial service honors victims of 1980 Blackthorn tragedy. Damage to the Blackthorn from the initial impact was not extensive. It tragically sank at 8:20PM on January 28, 1980, at the entrance to Tampa Bay in Florida, near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. A freak set of circumstances led to catastrophe the evening of Jan. 28, 1980. (On Tuesdays anniversary, the Coast Guard will remember the tragedy with its own event.) Capricorn began to turn left, but this would not allow the ships to pass port-to-port. A Coast Guardsman salutes in front of the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn memorial during the ceremony Jan. 27, 2023, in St. Petersburg for the 43rd anniversary of the ship's sinking. Capricorn began to turn left, but this course would not allow Capricorn and Blackthorn to pass port-to-port, as the rules of navigation generally required. She served in World War II, . The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, Admiral John B. Hayes, approved the report of the marine board of investigation on the collision between Blackthorn and Capricorn. Twenty-seven others managed to escape. Though 27 crewmen survived the collision, 23 perished. [1][2][3] Well deliver the latest news and information you need to know every weekday morning. Blackthorn was 180'x37'x12' with a maximum cruising speed of 13 knots powered by a single screw. He doesnt remember hearing very much about Uncle Billy growing up, even though his family hung a picture of him on the wall. Twenty-three of the Blackthorn's 50 crewmembers lost their lives during the Coast Guard's worst peacetime disaster, and a memorial inscribed with the names of the crewmembers that perished now. At approximately 8:21 p.m. on Jan. 28, 1980, USCGC Blackthorn collided with the U.S. tankship Capricorn in Tampa Bay waters near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the Coast Guard explains. I could not think of a better way to honor and remember the 23 sailors we lost, than to introduce a man who I have gotten to know well over the last 2 years, a man who I respect, and a man who is a selfless leader to our Coast Guard men and women. Its still in service today. Just seconds after the slack in the anchor chain became taut, Blackthorn capsized. Installed power: 2 Cooper-Bessemerdiesel engines The tragedy of Cutter Blackthorn changed the Coast Guard forever, providing a painful lesson on risk management and training. It is a privilege to be here with the survivors, families, friends and Coast Guard men and women at the 40th Anniversary of the tragic sinking of Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn. His family was presented with the Medal on 28 January 2000, the 20th anniversary of the tragedy. On Jan. 28, 1980, the USCGC Blackthorn, a 180-foot seagoing buoy tender, collided with a tanker and sank near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The Blackthorn collision provided the impetus for the establishment of the . Capricorn subsequently ran aground north of the channel and Blackthorn sank in the channel. Every day, the members of DHS face inherent risk in their missions. His grandfather, Robert, and uncle, Sam, served in the Navy. It was a typical day at school. Blackthorn's preliminary design was completed by the United States Lighthouse Service and the final design was produced by Marine Iron and Shipbuilding Corporation in Duluth. Meanwhile the tanker Capricorn was standing into the bay. Blackthorn's captain, Lieutenant Commander George Sepel had departed the bridge to investigate a problem with the newly installed propulsion shaft. USCGC Blackthorn being raised, in July 1980. Though 27 crewmen survived the collision, 23 perished. Despite the Blackthorn's evasive action, a collision occurred. Blackthorn's preliminary design was completed by the United States Lighthouse Service and the final design was . It tore into the cutters hull, then pulled the ship down. Peacetime: None. TWS is the largest online community of Veterans existing today and is a powerful Veteran locator. Eighteen is how old Flores nephew Bobby Flores is now. On 28 January 1980, she collided with the tanker SS Capricorn. She now sails with a crew of sixty students and six instructors. The. Displacement: 935 long tons (950t) His heroic role was initially overlooked by the two official reports by the Coast Guard and the NTSB, but was later given the recognition he deserved. All but one of the original tenders, USCGCIronwood(WLB-297), were built in Duluth. Ensign John Ryan had the conn. In 1979-1980, Blackthorn underwent a major overhaul in Tampa, Florida. U.S. Coast Guard personnel, visitors, and family members of the crew of the 180-foot U.S. Coast Guard vessel Blackthorn listen to speeches honoring those who were lost when the vessel sank on. On 21 May 1943 the keel was laid, she was launched on 20 July 1943 and commissioned on 27 March 1944. Range: 8,000nmi (15,000km; 9,200mi) at 13kn (24km/h; 15mph) 223K views 2 years ago #Disaster #History On the 28th of January 1980 the USCGC Blackthorn collided with the SS Capricorn and would go down with nearly half her crew. Concurring with the marine board's determination of the cause, the Commandant emphasized in his "Action" that the failure of the persons in charge of both vessels to ascertain the intentions of the other through the exchange of appropriate whistle signals was the primary contributing cause. Every year on Jan. 28, different communities and groups come together to remember the lives lost in the collision. Early in my tenure as MCPOCG, I attended the memorial gathering for the USCGC BLACKTHORN on January 28, 2000, which commemorated the 20th Anniversary of the tragic accident. Before Mondays ceremony, Bobby Flores read about the Blackthorn on Wikipedia. Speed: 13kn(24km/h; 15mph) maximum Length: 180ft (55m) In October 2010, it was announced that the third new Sentinel-class fast response cutter, a 154-foot patrol boat, would be named for Flores. Blackthorn was one of 39 original 180-foot (55m) seagoing buoy tenders built between 1942 and 1944. The Commandant also acted on various safety recommendations made by the marine board concerning training and equipment aboard Coast Guard vessels, and navigation considerations in Tampa Bay. The U.S.C.G. Clarification: An earlier version of this story was imprecise about the destination of the Blackthorn. Thursday marked the 41st anniversary of the Blackthorn colliding with the tanker vessel Capricorn near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Jan. 28, 1980, resulting in the deaths of . Want more of our free, weekly newslettersinyourinbox? The board determined that the cause of the collision was the failure of both vessels to keep well to the side of the channel which lay on each ship's starboard (right) sides. The death toll may likely have been much higher if it weren't for the courage of one crew member whose heroism went unrecognized for over two decades following the tragedy. 11 memorials. The Alexander Hamilton was one of the newest ships in the service. 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