16 January 2026, Kuching – A knowledge sharing session titled “From Crisis to Cooperation: Case Studies in U.S. Maritime Incident Management” was held at Pustaka Negeri Sarawak, delivered by Vice Admiral (Ret.) Peter Gautier, former Acting Vice Commandant of the United State Coast Guard (USCG). 

The engagement session was attended by key enforcement, maritime safety, and search and rescue agencies in Sarawak such as the Marine Police Force, Region 5, Sarawak, Civil Defence Force, Sarawak, Malaysia Marine Department (Sarawak Region), Fire and Rescue Department Sarawak, Sarawak Rivers Board, and Sarawak Coast Guard. The participants from the Sarawak Rivers Board was led by Lt. Col. Ding Tiew Wong (Bersara), the Controller of Sarawak Rivers Board and attended together with five (5) senior officers from the Riverine Safety, Enforcement, and Barrage and Shiplock Sections.

Vice Admiral Peter Gautier shared lessons from several maritime incidents, and among the case studies highlighted is the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on 26 March 2024. The bridge was rammed by the container ship DALI, resulting in a pier collapse and six (6) fatalities. The USCG responded swiftly by establishing a 2,000-yard safety zone, restricting vessel traffic, issuing continuous notices to mariners, and coordinating with multiple agencies to remove wreckage and reopen an alternative channel in ensuring vessel traffic could continue and preventing disruption to the supply chain. The session emphasised the importance of rapid response, clear communication, and inter-agency cooperation in maintaining maritime safety.

The engagement session benefited the Sarawak Rivers Board, which plans to hold further sessions and invite Vice Admiral Peter Gautier to share knowledge on high-impact maritime case studies at future conferences and seminars organised by the Ministry of Transport, Sarawak, and Sarawak Rivers Board.