Taut Towline Kills Tugboat Operator

A tugboat operator was fatally injured in California earlier this year after a towline snapped taut, throwing her against a boat rail and breaking her neck. Piper Cameron, 26, died in hospital.

A co-worker, Scott Dekraai, 38, suffered a broken leg while attempting to help Cameron. Dekraai was also struck by the towline.

Cameron, of Huntington Beach, CA, was well liked and her death has shocked her tight-knit group of co-workers. She had been working as a deckhand for six years.

“We’re all still stunned by this tragic loss. Piper was a wonderful person. This is a very emotional time. She will be greatly missed by all of us,” said Dave Selga, manager of terminal services at Foss Maritime Company (Cameron’s employer).

Company President Gary Faber said Foss is “highly motivated to find out what happened in this situation so that we can make sure it never happens again.”