Jun 15, 2011 2 min read

A Masontown filed suit against a Belle Vernon contractor and others, claiming he was nearly killed while working on a vessel on the Monongahela River at the Hatfield’s Ferry Power Plant in Greene County.

In the Wednesday filing in federal court, Paul Wroble Jr. named Matt Canestrale Contracting, Inc., of Belle Vernon, Allegheny Energy Inc. and West Penn Power Company as defendants in his negligence lawsuit.

Wroble, a seaman and captain of a vessel named Sheila, was trying to assist a stuck barge on Jan. 8, 2009, when the Sheila capsized and water rushed into and flooded the engine room. The Sheila is owned by the contracting company.

Attorney Stephen P. Moschetta, who filed the suit, alleged that Wroble fell backward, hit his back head and neck, and water started to rush into the pilothouse, where he was.

Wroble “was in imminent fear of death by drowning since the door to the pilothouse was underwater,” the filing alleged.

“The water kept pouring into the pilothouse until it was up to plaintiff’s neck, when he was able to finally break a window in the pilot house and attempt escape. However, plaintiff became stuck in the window because he was wearing winter weather gear. Plaintiff twisted and fought his way out of the window and was ultimately able to free himself. He was then pulled to safety by the crew of the M/V Hatfield’s Ferry II,” the suit read.

The Hatfield’s Ferry II was the stuck vessel that Wroble tried to assist with the Sheila.

For more information, read Thursday’s Herald-Standard.