Coast Guard begins drill barge grounding inquiry

This image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard shows the Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig Kulluk aground off a small island near Kodiak Island Wednesday Jan. 2, 2013. There's no indication of a fuel leak from Kulluk, the Coast Guard said Wednesday night, Jan. 2, 2013, of a maritime accident that has refueled debate over oil exploration in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard’s inquiry into the December grounding of a Shell drill barge off the coast of Alaska kicked off with testimony from the company’s emergency response coordinator.

The 266-foot diameter Kulluk on Dec. 27 was on its way from Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands to a Seattle shipyard when it broke from its towing vessel in 20-foot swells.

Norman “Buddy” Custard told an investigative panel Monday he twice ended shifts hopeful that lines re-established could be used to tow the barge to a sheltered Kodiak Island bay for repairs.

The attempts failed and the vessel ran aground Dec. 31.

Custard says the top priority in the incident was the safety of 18 people on the drill barge. Coast Guard helicopters lifted them to safety Dec. 29.

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