Boat crashes can happen for any number of reasons. Sometimes it’s a missed rock on the charts. Other times a failed propeller blade is to blame. Sometimes the whole ship sinks because of an autopilot mishap. Or it could be as simple as falling asleep at the wheel.

According to new findings released by the National Transportation Safety Board, sleepiness was indeed the culprit in a 2023 towing vessel crash that ended up causing about $6 million in damages.

A deckhand aboard the Cindy B was at the helm on Nov. 12, 2023 as the towing vessel pushed the deck barge St. John up the Columbia River North of Portland, Oregon. According to the report, the deckhand fell asleep during the end of his scheduled night watch, which started at midnight and ended at 6 a.m., and the vessel drifted out of the channel and struck a dock.

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