A captain and a firefighter from Portland, Maine have been suspended following a marine mishap with a fire boat that resulted in approximately $38,000 worth of damage.
Captain Christopher Goodall and Firefighter Joseph Murphy were operating The City of Portland IV on October 15, 2011 when it ran aground. Murphy was piloting the vessel at the time, received a 3 day suspension, while Captain Goodall received a 10 day suspension.
Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard has initiated an investigation into the incident, and why the accident was not reported. According to a city spokesperson, officials were not aware they had to report vessel accidents to the Coast Guard.
It would seem that a review of the policy allowing civilians on board is in order.