Gregory Cousins (born 1964), of

Tampa Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough County ...

, Florida, was third mate at the time of

Exxon Valdez oil spill The ''Exxon Valdez'' oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989. ''Exxon Valdez'', an oil supertanker owned by Exxon Shipping Company bound for Long Beach, California struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef, west o ...

. He was left in control of the vessel, but failed to maneuver it to the required lane, when it struck Bligh Reef in

Prince William Sound Prince William Sound (Sugpiaq: ''Suungaaciq'') is a sound of the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the Tr ...

. Cousins had a Coast Guard license to command the ship in most waters, but did not have the special endorsement that was required for Prince William Sound.

References

People from Tampa, Florida Exxon Valdez oil spill 1964 births Living people ExxonMobil people {{shipping-bio-stub