Abstract: On December 5, 2001, Employee #1, who was not wearing a life vest, placed a portable 14-foot metal ladder on the deck of a flat-deck crane barge and the upper portion against the bow of the empty raked-deck barge he was preparing to board. The ladder was not secured. The raked bow of the barge was parallel to the dock and the bow of the crane barge was moored to the dock. The barges were both moving in the water due to the wind and the wake from other vessels. Other employees on the raked bow of the barge reported seeing the top of Employee #1's head as he climbed the ladder, just before they heard a splash and realized that he was in the water. Using a boat that was in the water, rescue efforts were started. The Employee #1's body was recovered from the water approximately two hours later after emergency operations grappling equipment was used.