Loss of the USCGC White Alder

[Bilgerat]

USCGC White Alder was stationed at New Orleans, Louisiana throughout her service, which spanned 1947 until 1968. Her primary assignment was to tend river aids-to-navigation although she was called upon to conduct other traditional Coast Guard duties, such as search and rescue or law enforcement duties, as required.

At approximately 18:29 CST on 7 December 1968, the downbound White Alder collided with the upbound M/V Helena, a 455-foot Taiwanese freighter in the Mississippi River at mile 195.3 above Head of Passes near White Castle, Louisiana and sank in 75 feet of water. Three of the crew of 20 were rescued, while the other 17 perished. Divers recovered the bodies of three of the dead but river sediment buried the cutter so quickly that continued recovery and salvage operations proved impractical.

The Coast Guard decided to leave the remaining 14 crewmen entombed in the sunken cutter, which remains buried in the bottom of the Mississippi River.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/White_alder.jpg

This image was copied from wikipedia

[Elessar]

This was before my time, but is a reminder to all of the hazards and
risks every time we cast off on a vessel, or lift off on an aircraft:

https://coastguardnews.com/we-remember-coast-guard-cutter-white-alder/2015/12/07/

[Gunny]

Buried in the Mississippi Mud. Sounds like a country song :)

I don't think most people realize just how dangerous that river is.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Buried in the Mississippi Mud. Sounds like a country song :)

I don't think most people realize just how dangerous that river is.
I was born on the Mississippi in Dubuque, Iowa. Used to fish the river all the time with my paw. Never knew what you'd catch, but the Bull Heads and Cat Fish were plentiful.

The Wisconsin River next to my town here runs into the Mississippi. I love rivers, and it's one of the reasons I live here, but you're dang right, Gunny. These rivers flow fast and they're darn dangerous. Last year a little girl, being baby sat by some girl, wondered off, fell off the bank, and the river took her like right now. She didn't make it. People fall through the ice too, and that's a sure death sentence. There's no way in hell you're escaping that. Kiss your ass goodbye.

Didn't mean to hijack the thread, Bilgerat. The OP is an interesting story.

[Elessar]

Hey Bilgerat, did you ever work on that river system?

I did not, and am not sure of all the Western Rivers Navigation Rules except
that southbound vessels have the right-of-way due to the currents pushing
them, which can be pretty strong at times.

[Bilgerat]

Hey @Bilgerat (http://www.debatepolicy.com/member.php?u=3372), did you ever work on that river system?

I did not, and am not sure of all the Western Rivers Navigation Rules except
that southbound vessels have the right-of-way due to the currents pushing
them, which can be pretty strong at times.


Nope, never worked inland ATON. I was on the Bittersweet, worked ocean buoys (and the occasional grounded oil tanker) :salute:

Closest I came to inland waterways was when I was EPO at OMSTA LaMoure, ND. Had the James river there which does feed the Missouri River