OPINION:
The discovery of the wreck believed to be the Mistress is a tragedy for the families of the two fishermen who lost their lives (“Wind farms and rescue helicopters don’t mix, fishermen warned years ago. They were right,” Web, Sept. 30).
It also provides an opportunity to separate the facts of this 2019 accident from broader claims about offshore wind.
In today’s risk-averse society, the temptation to draw inaccurate conclusions and correlate them to a tragic event like the sinking of Mistress should not drive policy decisions.
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First and foremost, there is no evidence that a wind turbine caused the Mistress to sink. The vessel was taking on water in severe winter weather, with winds reaching roughly 40 miles per hour and seas reported at 10 feet to 12 feet.
A sunken wreck whose equipment is consistent with the Mistress was located near a turbine, but there is no evidence that the turbine is related to the sinking. Correlation is not grounds to determine causation. Indeed, the Coast Guard previously investigated the incident without determining that the turbines caused the sinking.
The same distinction is important when discussing the rescue effort. The Coast Guard faced extraordinarily difficult conditions: high winds, poor visibility and a low cloud ceiling.
While a helicopter was unable to safely conduct its search in the immediate vicinity of the turbines, the rescue response continued with aircraft, cutters and nearby fishing vessels.
The wreck’s discovery should prompt authorities to examine every aspect of the tragedy and provide the families with long-overdue answers. That investigation must be driven by evidence, not misguided assumptions and misleading innuendo from offshore wind opponents.
Current offshore wind facilities are held to rigorous maritime-safety standards. A tragic accident in challenging weather should not be used to fabricate a case full of conjecture against the offshore wind industry when the available evidence does not establish that turbines caused the sinking or prevented the successful rescue of the lone survivor.
Cmdr. KIRK LIPPOLD
U.S. Navy (retired)
Alexandria, Virginia
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