Coast Guard begins hearing into vessel sinking

SEATTLE – A Coast Guard hearing is beginning into the sinking of the fishing vessel Alaska Juris.

The boat sank off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands in July, forcing the crew to abandon ship. All 46 crew members were rescued by good Samaritan ships, and there were no injuries. The two-week hearing begins Monday in Seattle.

The Seattle Times reported the Alaska Juris was part of the head-and-gut fleet, a group of boats that catch and process fish in the North Pacific and that over the years have been involved in a series of serious accidents.

The vessel sank after a problem in the engine room led to flooding on board.

More than three dozen people are expected to testify, including crew members, Coast Guard inspectors and Alaska Juris maintenance personnel.

Investigators are trying to identify factors that could have contributed to the ship’s sinking.