Opinion ID: 27770
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The District Court's Legal Analysis

Text: 14 The district court analyzed the Coast Guard's claim as follows (notes in original): 15 The services rendered to salve a vessel cannot be performed pursuant to a preexisting duty or contract. In other words, an individual's efforts to protect a vessel from peril must be voluntary. See The SABINE, 101 U.S. 384, 25 L.Ed. 982 (1879).... Actions taken pursuant to a duty owed to a third party are voluntary. Hence, when the Coast Guard salves a vessel, its actions are generally voluntary because its statutory mandate exists to protect the public, not the vessel or its owner. See In re American Oil Co., 417 F.2d 164, 169 (5th Cir.1969). 10 In addition, the Fifth Circuit indicated in dicta in In re American Oil that the Coast Guard has discretion whether to act and therefore its services are rendered voluntarily. 11 Id. at 168. A later district court case adopted this statement and held that the Coast Guard can be reimbursed for its salvage efforts. See DFDS Seacruises (Bahamas) Ltd. v. United States, 676 F.Supp. 1193, 1200 (S.D.Fla.1987) (characterizing the rule that Coast Guard rescue services are voluntary as well-settled). 12 16 . . . 17 Like Marine Salvage, the United States has a valid salvage lien. It acted to avert a real risk to the CABOT after the M/V TOMIS FUTURE collided with the vessel in New Orleans. If the Coast Guard had not repaired the Press Street Wharf and positioned tugboats alongside the CABOT, there was a significant possibility that the CABOT would have broken free on the Mississippi [R]iver and been destroyed or severely damaged. The Coast Guard acted voluntarily because the owner of the vessel, at that time the U.S.S. Cabot Dedalo Museum Foundation, stood by and refused to act in an emergency situation, and [the Coast Guard] had no pre-existing legal duty to act. 13