A 200-foot section on
the western side of the Eastport breakwater pier in Eastport, Maine, collapsed
about 0200 local time on December 4, 2014, damaging several vessels that were
moored alongside. No injuries and minor pollution were reported.
Pier Collapse
The collapse occurred on the original 1962 structure at the
southern end on the west face at low tide on a calm, clear night. About 20
vessels were moored to floating docks alongside the pier, and several broke
free from their moorings after the section collapsed and were recovered. Three
vessels docked closest to the collapsed section sustained substantial damage. A
Ford Ranger pickup truck parked on the pier fell onto one of the boats and then
into the water and was partially submerged.
Just before 0200 on the morning of the collapse, a caretaker
living on board the schooner Ada C. Lore, which was docked directly to the west
of the affected section of the breakwater, was awakened by noises coming from
the breakwater pier. He went up on deck to investigate and noticed the inner
portion of the breakwater was bowing outward toward his vessel.
He went below
deck to retrieve his pet dog and a few belongings before departing the vessel.
When he came back on deck, he heard a loud crash as the inner portion of the
breakwater pier collapsed onto the Ada C. Lore and other moored vessels.
As a result of debris falling onto the vessel, he fell
backwards and injured his ankle. He noticed the port quarter of the vessel was
covered with rubble. A power pole had fallen onto the Ada C. Lore, and the
vessel was listing severely to port. When the owner arrived, he and others
began clearing debris from the vessel, and the vessel was then moved to another
pier across the harbor. The caretaker was taken by ambulance to a hospital for
evaluation. He received an x-ray and was advised he had no fractures and did
not require further medical treatment.
The Eastport Port Authority’s security camera system
captured the event from four locations. Power poles over the affected area
slowly began leaning away from the pier as the sheet piles peeled away and then
suddenly fell onto the moored boats when the structure gave way. Power poles,
steel sheet piles, debris, and solid fill landed on the boats and fell into the
water. Several vessels broke free from the pier.
Due to the debris in the water, US Coast Guard Station
Eastport small boats that were docked inside the breakwater pier were unable to
respond to calls until the waterway was cleared the following day. Coast Guard
Station Jonesport assumed temporary duty during this time.
Affected Vessels
The Ada C. Lore was a wooden schooner used for whale
watching tours. At the time of the collapse, it was secured to a floating dock
attached to the pier port side-to. A post accident survey found extensive
damage.
The wooden fore and mainmasts, gaffs, and associated standing rigging were
torn off and damaged beyond repair; about 50 feet of the aft port quarter rail
and associated stanchions were torn off the side of the vessel; the trunk house
and all associated structural components were crushed about 4 feet into the
deck; the aft deckhouse interior and all electrical and engine panels were
destroyed; and the bowsprit was lifted out of its chocks.
Two holes were found
on the main deck, and the main deck was reported to be leaking significantly.
The vessel was declared a total constructive loss. The vessel was sold with the
intention of repairing and bringing it back into passenger service.
The Double Trouble 2 was a privately owned 45-foot-long
fiberglass fishing vessel. As a result of the pier collapse, it sank to the
windows of the shelter deck and the engine room flooded. The vessel was
recovered, revealing extensive damage. The A-frame used for scallop dragging
was bent and damaged beyond repair, and the deck below it was fractured. The
aft starboard quarter of the hull was significantly damaged; the cap rail was
torn off from the deckhouse to the stern, and the hull was split at the stern.
The trap hauling system was torn off the starboard side, the deckhouse was
fractured and two windows were broken, and the door was torn off. The Double
Trouble 2 was also declared a total constructive loss.
The Medric II was a multipurpose work boat constructed of
high-density polyethylene (HDPE)that had been tied up to the floating dock
alongside the bulkhead. The vessel was used for tending salmon farm pens,
transporting cargo, surveying, and transporting local pilots to and from vessels.
When the pier collapsed, the Medric II was hit by the pickup truck, and large
sections of sheet pile, stone, gravel, and a light pole fell across the
wheelhouse.
The Medric II was completely submerged but was recovered
later that morning and taken ashore. An
inspection revealed a 12-inch hole through the bottom of the hull from a power
pole, more than a dozen fractures in the bottom, a broken pontoon, and a
dislodged transom.
The vessel was observed to be distinctly hogged(curved
upward)in the center, which indicated a major structural failure. The
wheelhouse was also completely destroyed. The two outboard engines were hit by
the falling truck and debris and then forced to the bottom where they lay
submerged for hours. Gasoline from the tanks below deck leaked out and damaged the
Styrofoam flotation located inside the hull. This vessel was declared a total
constructive loss.
Probable Cause
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the
probable cause of the collapse of the Eastport Port Authority breakwater pier
was the failure of the lateral restraint system due to the structure’s long-term
deterioration.