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Towboat captain's testimony continues
The third day of hearings on the final, fatal run of the towboat Elizabeth M began this morning.
George "Toby" Zappone, captain of the ill-fated boat, took the stand yesterday for a second day to be questioned by lawyers representing the families of three of the crewmen -- Edward Crevda, Tom Fisher and Rick Conklin -- who were killed or are missing and presumed dead in the Jan. 9 accident, when the towboat was swept over the Montgomery Dam in Beaver County.
The family of one deceased crew member -- pilot Scott Stewart -- has not hired a lawyer.
Zappone said this morning that he did not experience any mechanical trouble with the boat, nor did he consider tying off the tugboat and allowing the six coal-laden barges that had broken away to continue to drift.
"Things were moving kind of fast," he said.
He said no one ever told him not to leave without the assist boat. He also said none of his crew members expressed safety concerns to him that night.
Tears welled in Zappone's eyes yesterday as he spoke publicly for the first time about the sinking of the Elizabeth M and his last-ditch attempt to save her crew.
"I waited till the very last second, then there was nothing else we could do," Zappone testified.
Investigators want to know why the towboat was unaccompanied by a helper vessel -- as towboat operator Campbell Transportation Co. claims it ordered; whether Zappone endangered his crew by trying to save the barges; and who was at the wheel when the drama began to unfold.
Hearings on the incident are scheduled through at least Friday. When they are completed, Coast Guard Lt. Commander Michael Kelly will file a report and could recommend changes in river traffic procedure, criminal charges if anyone is found to be negligent, or he could recommend the suspension or revocation of Zappone's pilot's license.
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