Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are evacuating platforms and rigs in preparation for Tropical Depression No. 9.

BSEE Tropical Depression No. 9 Activity Statistics: August 31, 2016



31 August 2016

NEW ORLEANS — Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are evacuating platforms and rigs in preparation for Tropical Depression No. 9. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Hurricane Response Team is activated and monitoring the operators’ activities. The team will continue to work with offshore operators and other state and federal agencies until operations return to normal and the storm is no longer a threat to Gulf of Mexico oil and gas activities.

Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today, personnel have been evacuated from a total of 10 production platforms, 1.33 percent of the 750 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Production platforms are the structures located offshore from which oil and natural gas are produced. Unlike drilling rigs, which typically move from location to location, production facilities remain in the same location throughout a project’s duration.

Personnel have been evacuated from one rig (non-dynamically positioned (DP) rig), equivalent to 9.09 percent of the 11 rigs of this type currently operating in the Gulf. Rigs can include several types of offshore drilling facilities including jackup rigs, platform rigs, all submersibles and moored semisubmersibles.

A total of five DP rigs have moved off location out of the storm’s path as a precaution. This number represents 26.00 percent of the 19 DP rigs currently operating in the Gulf. DP rigs maintain their location while conducting well operations by using thrusters and propellers, the rigs are not moored to the seafloor; therefore, they can move off location in a relatively short time-frame. Personnel remain on-board and return to the location once the storm has passed.

As part of the evacuation process, personnel activate the applicable shut-in procedure, which can frequently be accomplished from a remote location. This involves closing the sub-surface safety valves located below the surface of the ocean floor to prevent the release of oil or gas. 

 

During previous hurricane seasons, the shut-in valves functioned 100 percent of the time, efficiently shutting in production from wells on the Outer Continental Shelf and protecting the marine and coastal environments. Shutting-in oil and gas production is a standard procedure conducted by industry for safety and environmental reasons.

From operator reports, it is estimated that approximately 19.52 percent of the current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in. It is also estimated that approximately 10.59 percent of the natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in. 

 

The production percentages are calculated using information submitted by offshore operators in daily reports. Shut-in production information included in these reports is based on the amount of oil and gas the operator expected to produce that day. The shut-in production figures therefore are estimates, which BSEE compares to historical production reports to ensure the estimates follow a logical pattern.

After the storm has passed, facilities will be inspected. Once all standard checks have been completed, production from undamaged facilities will be brought back on line immediately. Facilities sustaining damage may take longer to bring back on line. BSEE will continue to update the evacuation and shut-in statistics at 1:00 p.m. CDT each day as appropriate.

	Total	Percentage of GOM
Platforms Evacuated	10	1.33%
Rigs Evacuated	1	9.09%
DP Rigs Moved-off	5	26.00%
	Total shut-in	Percentage of GOM Production
Oil, BOPD Shut-in	312,280	19.52%
Gas, MMCFD Shut-in	360	10.59%

This survey information is reflective of seven companies’ reports as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today. 

U.S. Department of the Interior Issues Final Regulations to Address Current Offshore Production Safety Technologies

August 26th, 2016

WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Amanda Leiter and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Director Brian Salerno announced final regulations to ensure that safety and maintenance requirements are current for offshore oil and gas production technologies. The Production Safety Systems Rule utilizes industry standards and best practices for the use of offshore safety equipment and systems, while also prescribing maintenance, testing and reporting requirements for specific production and subsurface safety devices.

“The Department has a responsibility to update its regulations to keep pace with advancing technology and ensure the safest possible offshore oil and gas operations,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Leiter. “The regulations issued today reflect the industry’s shift to deeper waters and adoption of more sophisticated technology. The Administration is committed to safe and environmentally responsible operations utilizing the most effective technology available.”

These final regulations revise and update the Code of Federal Regulations section that addresses oil and gas production safety systems. The section was first published in 1988. The rule published today incorporates many Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) policies that have been developed over the past 28 years. In 1988, many of the technologies currently in use did not exist. The final rule addresses a number of safety issues including production safety systems, subsurface safety devices, safety device testing, and production processing systems.

“By updating the requirements for these critical safety systems, we are meeting our commitment to promote the highest level of protection for both offshore workers and the environment,” explained BSEE Director Salerno. “The rulemaking process allowed us to develop the most effective and timely revisions by incorporating input from our partner federal agencies, industry, and research organizations.”

The revised requirements have been sent to the Federal Register and will go into effect 60 days following the publication of the final rule. BSEE has deferred the compliance dates for certain provisions of the final rule. These provisions and deferred compliance dates can be found in the Federal Register notice.

-- BSEE --

Click here for a copy of the final rule

Click here for a Production Safety System Rule fact sheet.

Millions of dollars in damages after a 6-alarm fire destroys the GAP Distribution Center in Fishkill, NY

(Photo: Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal)


Gap, workers will need help after massive fire
Poughkeepsie Journal Editorial Board 9:56 p.m. EDT August 31, 2016




Considering the massive size of the blaze, the community should be extremely grateful no one was injured or killed at The Gap Distribution Center in Fishkill Monday night.

Firefighters did exceptional work to suppress the blaze, and employees were able to make it out safely. The Gap has people working during all sorts of shifts, so a fire breaking out at night could have had far more devastating consequences than for some businesses. Flames shot out of the building, and sections of the facade and roof caved as the blaze raged. Journal staffers reported that the heat from the flames could be felt from the access road leading to the facility.

The actual damage and cause are still being assessed, but there still is plenty of cause for concern. The fire caused millions of dollars in property and product damage, and The Gap is a major employer in the area, so the community will have to wait with great interest to see what the extent of the economic consequences might be. The center has multiple buildings, but the entire site has been shut down as result of the blaze.

Dutchess County officials rightly pointed out the priority will be to assist displaced employees and then get an assessment from company leaders regarding when part of the operation can get up and running.

State and federal officials also have a role here, and it's imperative they work in concert with the company to provide workers with assistance and get the facility back in business in the area. First, though, fire officials have to deem the area safe and complete their initial investigation. State police ask anyone who may have information regarding the fire to call 845-677-7300.

The facility opened in September 2000 and has expanded over time. Most recently, company officials were investing $96 million to upgrade the distribution center and add 1,200 jobs over the next few years.
These manufacturing jobs are an important component to the local economy. Economic-development officials provided the company with tax credits tied to how many jobs are created and retained over a period of time and may have to recalibrate these deals and also consider what might be best in the short term to provide help. That is just a sliver of the financial matters that will have to be sorted through as a consequence of this blaze.

For now, the community should give thanks to the firefighters who toiled on the scene and recognize the efforts being made to help the displaced workers and their families.

This fire will cause pain and hardship, but the worst part is over – and, through good work and fortune, it came with no loss of life.



=============




Inspector: No violations at Gap building during 2015 inspection
Abbott Brant, Nina Schutzman and John Ferro, Poughkeepsie Journal 9:43 p.m. EDT August 31, 2016




What we know about the Gap warehouse fire in Fishkill as of Wednesday afternoon. John Ferro/Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal



(Photo: Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal)


As police and federal officials continue to search for answers in the massive blaze that destroyed a building at the Gap Inc. distribution center in Fishkill, a local building inspector said Wednesday no violations were found during its last inspection.

Demolition of an exterior wall of the building that was "at risk of collapse," according to state police, began Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Dutchess County is working with economic leaders around the Hudson Valley to help Gap and its 1,300 employees, who were unable to go to work again on Wednesday.

More than 100 firefighters from more than 20 departments across three counties responded to the fire on the multi-building property late Monday night, using more than a million gallons of water to knock down the blaze. Building 100, the 990,000-square-foot building that was heavily damaged by fire, heat and smoke, remains inaccessible, Assistant Dutchess County Executive Ron Hicks said.

Village of Fishkill Building and Fire Inspector Thomas VanTine is in charge of making sure codes are enforced in Building 100. The Gap has two independent companies that annually inspect the building's fire suppression system and sprinkler system and submit reports to the village, VanTine said.

The village last inspected the structure on Aug. 20, 2015, and "no violations were found at that time," said VanTine who had "no concerns" about the safety of the building.


Another building on the property, Building 110, sustained smoke damage during the fire but was cleared by the ATF Wednesday, which will allow Gap officials to assess the damage to that building. Central Hudson was able to isolate the building and "reenergize" it, Hicks said, but gas remains offline to the campus.

The 1,300 employees impacted by the facility's closure, including the 600 that worked in the building that erupted in flames, were paid by Gap on Tuesday, Hicks said. Gap will also continue to pay all employees Wednesday, he said.

A Gap spokeswoman could not immediately confirm the company's plans for its local employees going forward.

Spokeswoman Debbie Felix also said she could not confirm whether the building's fire-suppression systems worked.

"A lot of the detail we just don’t have at this time," Felix said. "We don’t have access to the places inside where the fire was."

A portion of the Gap distribution center warehouse was torn down on Wednesday night. Patrick Oehler/Poughkeepsie Journal

VanTine said his inspections, which might last about 90 minutes, focus on "general life safety" — making sure the alarms sound properly and flash visibly, that fire extinguishers have up-to-date (yearly) inspection tags, that fire exits are clear and well-marked.

During a typical inspection, "you're escorted around (the structure) by someone from the company," VanTine added. "They activate the (fire) alarms upon my request." But the "actual testing of the systems ... that’s done by the independent companies," VanTine said.

State police, the lead agency investigating the fire, is working closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' National Response team to determine how the devastating blaze began, according to state police spokeswoman Melissa McMorris.

The Fishkill facility is located alongside I-84, off exit 13, where it intersects with Route 9.

According to Hicks, economic development officials in Orange, Putnam and Ulster counties have worked with Dutchess County to identify available warehouse spaces in the surrounding area in the event Gap "needs contingency operational space in the region."

The county executive's office continues to work with the state Department of Labor, the Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board, Empire State Development and representatives from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office to further discuss how local and state resources can help employees, Hicks said.

Felix said the company has contingency plans in place and is "working across our North American network of distributions centers to continue to serve our customers."




An overview of what we know about the fire at the Fishkill Gap distribution center. Patrick Oehler, John Ferro, and Alex H. Wagner/Poughkeepsie Journal

A major employer in the region, Gap Inc. announced plans in 2014 to add 1,200 jobs over a five-year span, and invest $96 million into the Fishkill facility. At the time of the announcement, the facility had more than 425 employees.

Most jobs at a distribution center are warehouse-type work, moving boxes of merchandise around and keeping track of them with scanners and computers.There's truck unloading and loading, as well as some other support jobs like supervisory, security, maintenance and administrative roles.

The facility opened in September 2000, according to Journal archives, and expanded a year later.

A construction worker seriously injured after he fell about 30 feet down an elevator shaft at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

Construction Worker Falls Down Elevator Shaft At DFW Airport 

August 31, 2016 2:15 PM



GRAPEVINE (CBSDFW.COM) – A construction worker fell about 30 feet down an elevator shaft this afternoon at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

It happened at Terminal A near Gate A39 around 1 p.m. in an area walled off for construction.

The construction contract worker was flown by medical helicopter to a local hospital. No details about his injuries were available at the time of this report. Please click back for updates

Teen worker injured after getting stuck while cleaning a corn silo at H&H Feed and Grain in Vicksburg, Michigan

Emergency crews remove teenager from machine on W. Mich. farm

by Logan Crawford
Tuesday, August 30th 2016

Emergency crews remove teenager from machine on W. Mich. farm


VICKSBURG, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - For the second time in just over a year, emergency crews are called out to a West Michigan company.

Right now, a teenager is in the hospital after getting stuck while cleaning a corn silo at H&H Feed and Grain.

We're told he is expected to recover.

The South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority arrived at H&H Feed and Grain Monday to pull a teen out of a corn silo.

He was cleaning the silo, when he got his leg stuck in a conveyer belt.

"Pretty quickly out of it. He stayed conscious throughout the whole thing, he talked to us through the whole issue. And we got him out without any further harm," said Chief Tracy McMillan, with the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority.

This is not the first time tragedy has struck at this company. Just 1 year ago, there was another accident. That one ended more tragically, as a worker died.

In July 2015, Marcos Fonseca was killed on site at H&H. Authorities say the 31-year-old was looking at a new office being built, when he stepped down to a lower platform, and fell 15 feet.

"There's no criminal indication in this investigation. We have an accident that's very unfortunate," said Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Paul Matyas.

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined H&H for Fonesca's death. The citation was for employees not using fall protection. H&H paid $2,100 for the incident.

MIOSHA spokespeople say they are not currently aware or investigating Monday's incident.

According to MIOSHA:

"Employers are required to report injuries to MIOSHA only if the injury resulted in an amputation, an in-patient hospitalization or the loss of an eye."

"There was initial treatment on-scene for the injury, and then he was taken to Bronson hospital for further treatment," Chief McMillan said.

We asked the owners of H&H to talk about the incident, but they said they had no comment.

MIOSHA also cited H&H in 2014 for an "other-than-serious" citation for hazard communication, following a complaint.

The operator of an excavator with Mirra Construction injured after the equipment rolled onto its side as it was being loaded onto the trailer in Royalston

Worker hurt when excavator topples in Royalston, Mass.



Tuesday Posted Aug 30, 2016 at 4:04 PM Updated Aug 30, 2016 at 4:39 PM

 By Elaine Thompson
Telegram & Gazette Staff


ROYALSTON, MA – The operator of an excavator was taken to the hospital Tuesday after the equipment fell from a trailer on Turnpike Road.

State Trooper Paul Sullivan said the vehicle rolled onto its side as it was being loaded onto the trailer. The 61-year-old operator, whose name was not publicly released, was taken by ambulance to Heywood Hospital in Gardner with injuries that were not life-threatening, the trooper said.


He said representatives of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration declined to investigate because the accident “probably does not meet the standards for a basic investigation.”He said the company involved in the accident is Mirra Construction

Logging worker with Johnson Logging died of blunt force trauma to the head as were harvesting marked trees on private property southeast of Harrisonville, PA

Shippensburg man killed in logging accident: update
Chambersburg Public Opinion 2:22 p.m. EDT August 31, 2016


UPDATE: OSHA has sent an investigator to the scene of a logging accident that took the life of Richard L. Johnson II on Monday.

Timothy Braun, assistant area director of OSHA's office in Harrisburg, said the investigator is still trying to determine if Johnson's accident is covered under OSHA regulations.

The big question will be whether Johnson was considered an employee or an owner of Johnson Logging, Braun said.

"(OSHA) will determine how the accident occurred and if the company was in compliance (of OSHA rules)," he said.

The fact that OSHA is investigating does not mean OSHA safety rules were broken, he said,

Fulton County Coroner Berley Souders ruled the death accidental.

LICKING CREEK TOWNSHIP - A Shippensburg man was killed Monday by a falling tree while he was working his logging job, according to Fulton County Coroner Berley Souders.

Richard L. Johnson II, 44, was pronounced dead at about 12:15 p.m., Souders said. Johnson died of blunt force trauma to the head. The coroner's office ruled the death an accident.

Johnson and his father owned and operated Johnson Logging, a third-party contractor. They were harvesting marked trees on private property just off Patterson Run Road about three or four miles southeast of Harrisonville when the accident happened.

Souders said Johnson's father, who was driving the truck they were using to haul the harvested logs, discovered his son's body at about 11:30 a.m. Monday.

Johnson had cut a tree down and was trimming it when an adjacent tree fell on him, Souders said.

Johnson was a 1989 graduate of Chambersburg Area Senior High School and attended Penn State University, studying exercise and sport science.

He was the son of Richard L. and Linda Deck Johnson. The father-son team worked together for 25 years. According to his obituary, the son loved his job because it gave him the freedom to be outdoors and in the mountains.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home in Shippensburg.

===========




Richard L. "Dickie" Johnson II
1971 - 2016 Obituary Condolences
 





Richard L. "Dickie" Johnson II
September 21, 1971 - August 29, 2016
Shippensburg
Richard L. "Dickie" Johnson II, 44, departed this life on the morning of Monday, August 29, 2016.
He was born on September 21, 1971, in Chambersburg, the son of Richard L. and Linda Deck Johnson. Dickie was a 1989 graduate of Chambersburg High School and attended Penn State University, studying Exercise and Sport Science.
Dickie worked alongside his father, owning and operating Johnson Logging for the past twenty-five years. He loved his job because it allowed him to always be outdoors and in the mountains. Dickie just recently had a tattoo sleeve completed, showing a mountain setting under a full moon and lots of trees. It was very apparent how near and dear this was to his life and also how it shaped him as a person.
He wasn't a big fan of mornings, but you could sometimes find him sitting on the couch watching television with his St. Bernard, Mose, and he always had that candy dish nearby, because he loved to eat. Dickie had a nice Dodge Challenger and he liked to golf, especially at Piney Apple with Karen and his friends, with whom he always enjoyed their company and the company of their children. He will be missed by many.
In addition to his parents, Dickie is survived by his long-time companion, Karen Wickham; his sister, Lori (Brian) Donovan; niece, Nicole Donovan; nephew; Jake Donovan; paternal grandmother, Marjorie Johnson; uncles, George and Donald Deck and Donald Johnson; aunts, Myrtle Kriner, Diane Coldsmith, Shirley Felmlee, and Jo Ann Timmons; many cousins; and many friends. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Robert and Fannie Deck; his paternal grandfather, Albertus Johnson; and uncle, Sid Deck.
His funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 3, 2016, at the Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home & Crematorium, Inc., Shippensburg. The Rev. Richard Reese will officiate. Interment will be private. Viewing will be Friday evening from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Arbor Day Foundation "Trees In Memory" at www.arborday.org or Saintly Bernard's Rescue at www.saintlybernards.org.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.fogelsanger-brickerfuneralhome.com.
www.fogelsanger-brickerfuneralhome.com
Published in Public Opinion on Aug. 31, 2016 - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/publicopiniononline/obituary.aspx?n=richard-l-johnson-dickie&pid=181232790&fhid=8386#sthash.hupk7tmz.dpuf

A construction worker for Mercer Construction Company died and several others were injured in Lockhart, TX after an excavation trench collapsed.

Police: Rescuers pull body of man who died from Lockhart trench
4:21 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016



LOCKHART — 4:15 p.m. update: The body of the Lockhart worker who died Wednesday after a construction trench collapsed has been retrieved, authorities said.

The man was declared dead at the scene, Lockhart police Capt. John Roescher said. He hasn’t been identified.

Another person was also injured in the incident and was conscious and alert when taken to the hospital, authorities said.


A construction trench collapsed in Lockhart on Wednesday morning, killing one man and injuring another, authorities said. Photo by Katie Hall/AMERICAN-STATESMAN

3:10 p.m. update: A construction trench collapsed in Lockhart on Wednesday morning, killing one man and injuring another, authorities said.

Lockhart police Capt. John Roescher said the injured man was airlifted to a hospital and was conscious and alert.

The man who was killed was trapped underground as a trench was being built near the intersection of Clear Fork Street and City Line Road.

“Recovery of the body has been hampered by further collapse,” Roescher said.

Roescher could only confirm that the collapse was related to construction but he could not say which company was involved.

He said authorities so far were unsure of the time the collapse occurred, only that it happened before noon.

Federal investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are in charge of investigation.

Several public safety agencies are working to get the body out, including Lockhart EMS, police and fire departments and Chisholm Trail Fire Rescue.

Linda Baylis, who lives in the subdivision across the street from where the collapse happened, said construction workers had been working east to west along Clear Fork Street, laying what appeared to be large sewer lines. They had been doing that work for a couple of weeks, she said.

Earlier: A construction worker is dead and several others are injured after an excavation project collapsed in Lockhart, police officials said Wednesday afternoon.

Lockhart police said on their Facebook page about 12:40 p.m. that Clear Fork Street from Mockingbird Lane to City Line Road will be closed for several hours while crews respond to the incident. Area residents will be allowed to enter if they approach from the San Jacinto Street. The schools in the area can be accessed through West San Antonio Street, officials said.

=================

Worker killed in Lockhart construction mishap
Aug 31, 2016, 1:36pm CDT Updated Aug 31, 2016, 2:58pm CDT
 



A construction worker for Mercer Construction Company died and several others were injured Wednesday in Lockhart, southeast of Austin, after an excavation project collapsed.

The incident happened at around 12:30 p.m. near Clear Fork and City Line roads, west of Lockhart High School, according to KXAN. Someone who lives in the area said construction crews were digging a water line on Clear Fork Street for nearby home development before the collapse, the TV station reports.








The Caldwell County Courthouse in Lockhart. A construction worker died Wednesday

Arnold WellsABJ

KXAN reports that Clear Fork Road from Mockingbird to City Line Road will be blocked off during the investigation. The station also identified the company involved as Mercer, which is based in Edna, about 100 miles southwest of Houston.

Casey Perkins, director of the Austin office of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said Lockhart police reported the incident to his office and that OSHA has dispatched investigators to the scene.

The death comes less than a month after a balloon crashed near Lockhart, killing 16 people.

This is a developing story and we will update this post if we hear more.

Worker with ERSI fell 100 feet to his death from the decommissioned oil rig, Sovereign Explorer, in Sabine Pass.

Emergency vehicles are parked near a dock in Sabine Pass while first responders work to recover the body of a man who fell from a rig in Sabine Pass on Tuesday. Mary Meaux/The News



By L.V. Salinas

 
Sabine Pass rig worker’s death required divers’ aid

Published 9:50 am Wednesday, August 31, 2016


Scenes from emergency workers in search for rig worker:
 
A crane pulls a catwalk from the waterway adjacent to the decommissioned Sovereign Explorer rig in Sabine Pass on Tuesday. The structure had to be removed so dive teams could safely search for a man who fell from the rig.
Mary Meaux/The News  
A dive team with the Port Arthur Fire Department dock their boat to take a break after searching for the body of a man who fell from a rig in Sabine Pass on Tuesday.
Mary Meaux/The News  
A worker died after he fell from the decommissioned Sovereign Explorer rig in Sabine Pass on Tuesday.
Mary Meaux/The News  
A ‘restricted area’ sign on a fence near the Sovereign Explorer rig.
Mary Meaux/The News


A fatal rig accident caused authorities to arrive on scene and conduct an underwater search for the body of a Port Arthur worker in Sabine Pass.

The accident occurred on Tuesday morning in the 5500 block of South First Avenue when Ramiro Ayala, 40, fell about 100 feet into the water. He was working on the decommissioned oil rig, Sovereign Explorer, at the time of the accident.

Ayala was employed with ERSI.

Fire Marshal for the Port Arthur Fire Department, Paul Washburn, said they received the phone call regarding the incident shortly after 9 a.m.

“Workers thought they saw him fall,” the fire marshal said.

The PAFD and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department each issued a boat to aid in search efforts while the U.S. Coast Guard sent out two boats.

“Divers on the scene have to be careful due to hazards in the water,” Washburn said when explaining why PAFD divers had to go in two two-man teams.

Obstacles like poor visibility and scattered debris in the water hindered search efforts and made conditions “extremely dangerous for the divers,” according to Washburn.

In addition, a company crane had to be used to remove remains of a catwalk and other wreckage that had fallen with Ayala and had likely become entangled with the body.

Around 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, Ayala’s body was recovered from the water.

“Apparently, he had used safety equipment,” Washburn said, although the exact details of what caused him to fall were still unknown.

Ayala’s family has been notified; and, as of Tuesday evening, OSHA or Occupational Safety and Health Administration were onsite looking into it.

“We’re wrapping up search and recovery and shifting into investigation,” Washburn said.

The investigation is ongoing. 





=========



SABINE PASS -- A Port Arthur man working on an offshore rig in Sabine Pass fell 100 feet to his death Tuesday, local authorities said after spending six hours searching for him in the water.
Divers recovered the body of Ramiro Ayala, 40, about 3 p.m. near the rig, which is undergoing decommissioning.

Ayala worked for Environmental Remediation Services Inc., which was contracted to help take apart the rig.


The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched an investigation into the workplace death.

Ayala fell about 9 a.m., the Port Arthur Fire Department reported, from the rig Sovereign Explorer near the U.S. Coast Guard's Station Sabine, which is a search and recovery and law enforcement unit.

A piece of debris, which looked like a catwalk from the rig, might have figured in Ayala's fall, said Port Arthur Fire Marshal Paul Washburn.

A crane finally pulled the piece of catwalk from the water after a strap on the crane broke, further complicating the search. Ayala's body was not entangled in it, Washburn said

5 people killed in midair plane collision between a Hageland Aviation Cessna 208 Caravan and a Renfro's Alaskan Adventures Piper PA-18 Super Cub west-northwest of Russian Mission Airport (PARS), Russian Mission, Alaska.

The crashed Piper PA-18 Super Cub plane.


 

 The crashed Cessna 208 Caravan

Alaska State Troopers: All five people aboard 2 planes in mid-air crash are dead



Updated 1 hr 19 mins ago
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Alaska State Troopers say all those on board two small planes died in a midair collision in the western part of the state.

Troopers did not say how many people were in the two aircraft, but the Alaska National Guard said earlier that there were a total of five on board the planes.

Troopers say the crash occurred northwest of the village of Russian Mission. Troopers say responders at the scene have confirmed there were no survivors on either of the planes.

Alaska National Guard officials say the collision occurred just before 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Officials say the planes involved in the crash are a Hageland Aviation Cessna 208 Caravan carrying three people and a Renfro's Alaskan Adventures Piper PA-18 super cub with two people aboard. Representatives of Hageland, which is operated by Ravn, Alaska, did not immediately respond with comment. A Renfro employee said the company was not immediately releasing information. 

 =================

5 people killed in midair plane crash in Alaska, officials say

Published August 31, 2016

ANCHORAGE, Alaska –  Alaska State Troopers say all those on board two small planes died in a midair collision in the western part of the state.

Troopers did not say how many people were in the two aircraft, but the Alaska National Guard said earlier that there were a total of five on board the planes.
Troopers say the crash occurred northwest of the village of Russian Mission. 

Troopers say responders at the scene have confirmed there were no survivors on either of the planes.

Alaska National Guard officials say the collision occurred just before 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Officials say the planes involved in the crash are a Hageland Aviation Cessna 208 Caravan carrying three people and a Renfro's Alaskan Adventures Piper PA-18 super cub with two people aboard. Representatives of Hageland, which is operated by Ravn, Alaska, did not immediately respond with comment. A Renfro employee said the company was not immediately releasing information.

==============

Date:

	31-AUG-2016
Time:	-11:00
Type:	Piper PA-18 Super Cub
Owner/operator:	Renfro's Alaskan Adventures
Registration:
C/n / msn:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	3
Airplane damage:	Unknown
Location:	WNW of Russian Mission Airport (PARS), Russian Mission, AK -   United States of America
Phase:	Unknown
Nature:	Unknown
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
A midair collision occurred between a Cessna 208 Caravan and a Piper PA-18 Super Cub west-northwest of Russian Mission Airport (PARS), Russian Mission, Alaska. The airplane sustained unreported damage and the two occupants onboard received fatal injuries. The three occupants onboard the Cessna 208 were fatally injured.
Sources:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/08/31/5-people-killed-in-midair-plane-crash-alaska-troopers-say.html
http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/2-planes-crash-in-mid-air-collision-north-of-Bethel-Alaska-National-Guard-says-391927011.html
https://www.google.com/maps/@61.7757371,-161.3423464,13z/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en-us

https://www.sportsmansnews.com/outfitter/platinum-outfitter/renfros-alaskan-adventures/