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'Tell those people to get away!'
Runaway freighter radio transmission reveals panic
December 17, 1996Web posted at: 11:55 p.m EST
Here is a partial transcript of radio transmissions in the three minutes before a freighter crashed into a New Orleans shopping mall Saturday, starting when the pilot aboard the freighter, Ted Davisson, called the Coast Guard traffic control station at Governor Nicholls wharf:
Davisson: Governor Nicholls, I just lost my engines. Alert everyone in the harbor to watch out.
River Control: OK, you want me to get you a tug?
Davisson: Roger, Roger.
River Control: OK, want to alert everybody around Algiers Point, the tow boats that just called me, fellow just lost his engines coming down on the bridge. ... (garble)
Davisson: Governor Nick: I'm going to hit that damned cruise ship. Call them or do something! ....
Davisson: Governor Nick, call them or do something. I'm going right for them!
River Control: OK, I'm, I'm trying. ... Gretna, you got the Louisiana coming at you right off your stern.
Davisson: OK. War-- war-- warn the gambling boat I'm going right for them!
River Control: Getting them on the phone now, captain. Governor Nick to Creole Queen.
Answer: Got you, Mike.
River Control: I want to alert everybody around there. ...
River Control: Captain ... what's your situation? (garble from another ship) ... How about standing by there for a few minutes. I've got a ship that just lost power ....
Davisson: Tell those people to get away! Tell those people to get away...
River Control: ... below the bridge. I don't know what's going to happen, so stand by a couple of minutes.
Davisson: Tell those people to get away! Those people on the dock, tell them to get away! ...
River Control: Thank you, captain.
Unknown: I won't bother you again. ...
Davisson: Tell those people to get away! (garbled) ....
River Control: Creole Queen, if you can get out of there. Listen, Creole Queen, if you can get out of there. (garble)
Unknown: C'mon, Bryan, he ain't talking to nobody right now, man, he's got a -- he ate the dock up.
Unknown: The hotel collapsed, man, the hotel fell off. Oh, Jesus, they got a mess here.
Unknown: Get some tugs over here right now.
Related stories:
- Language barrier focus of freighter crash probe - December 17, 1996
- No known deaths in freighter accident - December 16, 1996
- 'It just kept coming' - December 15, 1996
- Ship slams into New Orleans riverfront mall - December 14, 1996
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window- COSCO Shipping
- U. S. Maritime Administration
- Maritime Global Net
- Port of New Orleans
- USCG Marine Safety and Environmental Protection
- Merchant Marine & Maritime Pages
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