Coast Guard Rescue

Published on: October 29, 2024

Coast Guard Medevacs ill Crewmember from F/V Pacific Dragon II

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Sector Honolulu command center received a medevac request at 4:57 p.m. on Monday, October 21, 2024, after notification that a 35-year-old crew member was experiencing severe abdominal pain. The F/V PACIFIC DRAGON II, was located approximately 78 miles northeast of Kahului, Maui at the time of the call.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point was dispatched to locate the vessel and evacuate the distressed fisherman. The helicopter reached the scene at approximately 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 22^nd, 2024, and transported the crewmember to Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku.

“Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac,” said a released statement, underscoring the urgency of the medical situation.

Published on: October 22, 2024

Coast Guard Rescues 5 from Tug Luther After Loss of Steering

by Joseph Stacey

A dramatic maritime rescue took place off the coast of La Push, Washington, on Friday, October 18^th, 2024, as U.S. Coast Guard and commercial tug crews worked urgently to prevent the 130-foot tug LUTHER from running aground after it lost steering in stormy seas.

At approximately 4:10 p.m. the tug LUTHER was towing a loaded cement barge when the vessel suffered a steering malfunction 10 miles offshore. The crew immediately sent a distress call to the U.S. Coast Guard.

“We’re getting our butts kicked,” the LUTHER captain can be heard saying over the radio as crews fought to save the vessel amid the harsh conditions. Readers can listen to the distress call at U.S. Coast Guard.

Published on: September 3, 2024

Six Fishermen Saved by Personal Locator Beacon

by Nigel Stacey

A group of fishermen stranded in the remote Western Pacific were recently rescued, thanks in large part to a personal locator beacon they had with them, according to a U.S. Coast Guard search coordinator.

According to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam, the six fishermen became stranded about 30 miles north of Satawal Atoll in the Caroline Islands when their engine failed at approximately 9 a.m. on August 17, 2024. The fishermen activated a personal locator beacon (PLB), sending a distress signal that transmitted their location to the Joint Rescue Sub-Center Guam, over 430 miles away.

The distress signal was relayed to the USCGC OLIVER HENRY, which was on patrol approximately 270 miles northeast of the fishermen, as well as the Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel ZHONG YU MARINE, a 97-meter cargo vessel located about 160 miles north of the stranded boat. Despite challenging conditions, including the remote location, thunderstorms, and low visibility, both ships reached the search area by 3 a.m. on August 18, 2024. The distressed fishing vessel was located, then towed to a nearby atoll.

Published on: August 25, 2024

Fisherman Sustains Severe Burns on the F/V Mariah K

by Nigel Stacey

On August 20, 2024, a fishing vessel caught fire about 50 miles off the coast of Brookings, Oregon. The MARIAH K was carrying three fishermen at the time of the blaze. Crew member Emanuel Silveira is currently in critical condition after suffering severe burns.

According to Petty Officer Briana Carter of the U.S. Coast Guard 13th District, the fire was reported by the nearby sportfishing vessel, ELI’S TIDE at approximately 8 p.m. The crew of ELI’S TIDE also assisted with rescue efforts.

The three fishermen jumped overboard and were rescued by a 47-foot motor lifeboat from the Chetco River Coast Guard Station. One rescued crewmember required a medevac by the Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay aircrew, and all three were transported to UCSF Health Saint Francis Hospital in San Francisco. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Published on: August 13, 2024

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues 6 After Mayday Call from Burning Fishing Vessel

by Joseph Stacey

On Sunday August 11^th, 2024, at 8:56 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England command center watchstanders received a mayday call from the F/V THREE GIRLS stating that the vessel was on fire, and all aboard were preparing to abandon ship. The vessel was located about 105 nautical miles east of Portsmouth, New Hampshire at the time of the incident.

The First Coast Guard District command center also received an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) alert from the vessel. The trawler was carrying six people, including a NOAA fishery observer.

At 9 p.m., Sector Northern New England diverted the USCGC William Chadwick, a fast response cutter, to respond. An MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew and a HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod was also launched in an effort to provide aerial support.

Published on: November 21, 2023

Coast Guard Helicopter Crashes in Alaska

by Joseph Stacey

Four Coast Guard personnel sustained injuries following the crash of their MH-60 Jayhawk during a search and rescue mission in Alaska. The Air Station Sitka based helicopter crashed on Read Island, just south of Juneau.

At approximately 8 p.m. on Monday, November 13^th the F/V LYDIA MARIE began taking on water amidst the rough seas of Frederick Sound. A distress signal was promptly transmitted by the ship’s captain to the U.S. Coast Guard, and the vessel navigated towards the sheltered northern coast of Read Island in Farragut Bay while awaiting assistance.

According to reports, the initial responders to Monday night’s Air Station Sitka helicopter crash were the crew members from the distressed fishing vessel the U.S. Coast Guard was dispatched to assist. Two brothers aboard the F/V LYDIA MARIE reportedly played a pivotal part in rescuing the stranded air crew after hearing the crash.

Published on: October 31, 2023

Mariner Lost at Sea Nearly 2 Weeks Found Alive

by Nigel Stacey

One of the two fishermen who disappeared nearly two weeks ago along the Washington coast has been found alive, floating in a life raft just west of Vancouver Island. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, Canadian family members spotted then rescued the man approximately 70 miles northwest of Cape Flattery on Thursday, October 26th, 2023.

Ryan Planes and his uncle, John, were preparing their fishing equipment on the shores of Vancouver Island when they noticed a small life raft drifting nearby. The individual in the raft had exhausted his supplies of food and water and had fired his final flare to alert them.

Ryan Planes and his uncle promptly rescued and transported the mariner to the Canadian Coast Guard for assistance.

Published on: September 12, 2023

Plane Crash Survivor Rescued in Alaska

by Nigel Stacey

On Sunday September 11^th, 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard successfully rescued the survivor of a plane crash that was located roughly 35 miles northwest of Juneau, Alaska.

Personnel at the Southeast Alaska Sector Command Center initiated the deployment of an MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew from Air Station Sitka at 5:38 p.m. responding to the most recent location signal from an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) alert in the vicinity of Excursion Inlet.

At 7:05 p.m., the aircrew successfully located the crash site of the single-engine fixed-wing aircraft. A rescue swimmer was lowered and skillfully extracted the sole occupant on the aircraft. The survivor was transferred in critical condition to awaiting local emergency medical services stationed at the Juneau International Airport.

Published on: August 29, 2023

U.S. Coast Guard Alaska Medevacs Fishing Crewmembers

by Nigel Stacey

It was a busy weekend for the U.S. Coast Guard as they responded to five rescue cases, including two unwell commercial fishermen.

On August 25th, at approximately 6:20 a.m. watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard District 17 command center received a request for a medevac from the F/V NORTHERN EAGLE. A 26-year-old crewmember was suffering from abdominal pain; an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter air crew was dispatched from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak. The crew reached the fishing vessel, which was about 23 miles northwest of St. Paul Island, and successfully hoisted the crewmember at about 8:15 p.m. The worker was airlifted to St. Paul, where a transfer was made to emergency medical services at 9:00 p.m. The crewmember received further medical attention in Anchorage.

On August 25th, at about 4:25 p.m., watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard District 17 command center received yet another request for a medevac from the F/V ASIAN MAJESTY. The request pertained to a 41-year-old male crew member who was experiencing chest pain. At the time of the request, the vessel was positioned approximately 483 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The vessel was directed to navigate to a rendezvous point to facilitate the medevac.

Published on: June 13, 2023

Two Pulled from Columbia River After Boat Capsizes

by Nigel Stacey

On Sunday June 11th at approximately 2:25 p.m., U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River watchstanders received a call from a witness reporting that a boat had overturned. Two individuals entered the water east of Tongue Point on the Columbia River, near Astoria.

Responding promptly to the distress call was a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Astoria MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and a U.S. Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment 29-foot Response Boat-Small II crew.

By 3 p.m., the helicopter crew reached the scene and located a person stranded on top of a dayboard channel marker. A rescue swimmer was deployed and retrieved the individual, who was hoisted from the water to the helicopter.