Clam diggers died in Alaska and their bodies were rescued by US coastguard. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

Deadly accident prompts Pacific Alaska to launch safety programme

Five seasonal migrant workers recently died when their boat sank in Alaska’s Cook Inlet as they were gathering clams. Pacific Alaska Shellfish, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pacific Seafood Group, responded by assuring a safety programme will be implemented to prevent further accidents.

Oregon-based Pacific Alaska encourages people to dig for clams about 90 mi southwest of Anchorage.

"This is the most tragic event in our company's 70-year history," said Shannon McCarthy, spokesperson for Pacific Alaska Shellfish.

"In nearly 30 years of harvesting clams in the same fashion at Polly Creek beach, there has never been a fatal or even serious injury," she added, reports The Bristol Bay Times. "We are devastated by this tragedy."

The five men died on a skiff that submerged in Cook Inlet as they were carrying buckets of clams back to a Pacific Alaska clam-processing site; the boat was allegedly overloaded with more than 100 buckets of razor clams weighing some 35 lb each. 

The US Coast Guard (USCG) learned of the accident hours later, and it was too late by the time rescuers arrived, Alaska Dispatch reports. 

What killed the men is unknown, but it is believed that they most likely drowned or died from hypothermia in the 41F-water. Pacific Alaska addressed this possibility by making it mandatory for clammers to complete Cold Water Survival training. 

“The safety training will be conducted on-site by the US Coast Guard," the company said.

Workers who stayed on the clam grounds are already undergoing the training. All clammers, who work about a three-month season in Alaska, will have to take it at the start of next season, the company informed. 

USCG and the Alaska State Troopers communicated that only one of the dead men was found wearing a personal flotation device when retrieved from the water. However, Pacific Alaska said it was already providing life preservers and whistles to all of the contract diggers. 

The firm informed that it would strengthen its "focus on personal safety as a priority above all.” 

“The team of contract diggers has relied upon and gleaned from the knowledge and experience of veteran diggers, with several of the individuals having 10 to more than 20 years’ experience," the firm continued.

Pacific Alaska will also execute other programmes, including -

• A clam diggers' safety curriculum and guidelines as part of its existing online employee training programme, called Pacific Seafood University.
• Furnishing all boats with a waterproof, marine VHF radio that all diggers will be trained to use.

By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Address:	16797 Southeast 130th Avenue - PO Box 97
City:	Clackamas
State/ZIP:	Oregon (97015)
Country:	United States
Phone:	+1 503 905 4500
Fax:	+1 503 905 4243
E-Mail:	[email protected]
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