Opinion ID: 2757407
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Fishing boat accident

Text: On July 1, 2011, the Vessel was engaged in dredging operations near Anahuac in Chambers County, Texas. A fishing boat carrying Mark Butler, his son Joseph Sigle, Sigle’s son B.S., and Butler’s daughter S.B., collided with a floating dredge pipe associated with the Vessel. All occupants of the fishing 1 See 46 U.S.C. § 30511(a) (2013) (“The owner of a vessel may bring a civil action in a district court of the United States for limitation of liability under this chapter. The action must be brought within 6 months after a claimant gives the owner written notice of a claim.”). Case: 14-40326 Document: 00512856802 Page: 3 Date Filed: 12/03/2014 No. 14-40326 boat were thrown overboard, suffering various physical injuries, and S.B. was killed. The Butlers contend that the dredge pipe was inadequately marked and that RLB had negligently failed to post warnings of ongoing dredging operations. The Coast Guard initiated an investigation shortly after the accident.