Boat owner suing Cordova over travel lift failure asks council to push mediation

Jeremiah Beckett, owner of the Cordova Copper Star, asked the Cordova City Council on Wednesday to push the city toward mediation in his lawsuit over a 2023 travel lift failure. He said the city dropped his boat in August 2023, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages and lost income. He said he is one of several parties suing the city over the lift.

Initial discovery and interviews in the case are complete, Beckett said, but "the city still won't agree to mediate." He said a judge dismissed the city's counterclaims, which sought to place blame for the incident on his business and crew, about a month ago.

Citing testimony in the case, Beckett said staff heard the winch fail and the lift alarms go off during a first lift attempt, then went ahead with a second attempt that led to "the catastrophic failure of the travel lift." He also alleged the city deleted video and destroyed physical evidence, including the straps and winches.

Beckett's business is also one of the past-due accounts listed in the city manager's report, he told the council. He said the outstanding invoices would be resolved "promptly once the city takes accountability for the travel lift incident."

He said his side has always been open to a fair settlement and asked the council to direct city management and the city's insurer toward mediation. "It's in your power to end this trial," he said.

No city official responded to his comments at the meeting, and council members did not raise the lawsuit in their closing comments. The city runs a 150-ton travel lift and shipyard at its harbor.