The U.S. Coast Guard temporarily relieved the commanding officer of the Homer-based Cutter Hickory Tuesday after it concluded its investigation into the death of one the vessel’s crew members.
Chief Warrant Officer Michael Kozloski died in a shore-side crane accident on Jan. 31.
According to the Coast Guard investigation released Tuesday, a two-person team was operating the crane, but neither person was qualified to operate the machinery. While moving equipment, the crane tipped over on top of Kozloski, killing him.
“The investigation further revealed leadership deficiencies on board the Cutter Hickory that contributed to inadequate crew member training and complacency with shore-side operations such as the crane operation,” said Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Brian Dykens.
Lt. Commander Adam Leggett was in charge of the ship. But as of Tuesday, Dykens says Leggett has been temporarily relieved of his duties.
“So as a commanding officer of a cutter, in any unit in the Coast Guard, they're entrusted with safety of all the crew members,” he said. “This means the commanding officers are responsible to ensure that the crew are complying with all applicable safety procedures and conducting operations in accordance with policy. So this investigation revealed a general disregard for safety and policy.”
Dykens says the Coast Guard will conduct a formal review of Leggett’s actions, but it’s unclear how long the process could take or whether further actions may be taken.
