Regulations questioned in crash

The tugboat pushing a barge that slammed into a sailboat carrying summer campers in Biscayne Bay — killing three girls and injuring one other — may not have been operated by a licensed captain because of loopholes in Coast Guard regulations, maritime experts told the Miami Herald.

If a commercial tugboat is under 26 feet, it is subject to fewer requirements and restrictions, a retired ferry, barge and tugboat captain and a longtime South Florida barge/tugboat company said. A Herald review of Coast Guard navigational rules confirmed the loophole.

Under federal law, these types of vessels do not require the operator to be a licensed captain. The only requirement is that the operator is a U.S. citizen. – Full report