Coast Guard SAR

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: June 24, 2010
Contact:  District 17 Public Affairs

Coast Guard medevacs man from
cruise ship southwest of Juneau



KODIAK, Alaska — A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka aircrew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter safely medevaced a 90-year-old man off the 965-foot cruise ship Norwegian Pearl 23 miles southwest of Juneau in Chatham Strait Thursday.

The 17th Coast Guard District command center in Juneau received a call from the medical officer aboard the Norwegian Pearl via satellite phone at approximately 2:57 p.m. requesting a medevac for the man who had suffered a loss of consciousness and symptoms of a stroke.

After the Coast Guard duty flight surgeon recommended the man be medevaced the helicopter rescue crew was launched.  Once on scene around 5 p.m., the Jayhawk crew safely hoisted the man and delivered him to Juneau where local emergency medical services were waiting to transfer him to Bartlett Regional Hospital.

The patient was reported in stable condition.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: June 24, 2010
Contact:  District 7 Public Affairs

Coast Guard rescues three
men, tows recreational vessel



CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Coast Guard rescued three boaters shortly after 9:00 p.m. Thursday, west of Clearwater Pass.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Sand Key were notified of a vessel in distress, via a 911 transfer call, at approximately 8:30 p.m.  Three men aboard a small recreational vessel requested assistance after they began taking on water approximately five miles off the coast of Clearwater.

A 25-foot Response Boat-Small (RB-S) crew from Station Sand Key launched at 8:38 p.m., along with a Clearwater Fire and Rescue boatcrew, and arrived on scene at approximately 9:00 p.m.  The crews located the three boaters aboard a 25-foot recreational vessel and safely transferred the men to the Clearwater Fire and Rescue boat, while two Sand Key crewmembers began dewatering the vessel.

While continuing dewatering efforts, the RB-S crew placed the disabled boat in tow. The crews and passengers are currently en-route to Station Sand Key.

This rescue illustrates the vital importance of safety equipment for all seasoned and recreational boaters. The Coast Guard recommends the use of a registered EPIRB, PPIRB, fully functioning marine band radio and proper use of life jackets.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: June 27, 2010
Contact:  District 17 Public Affairs

Coast Guard rescues intoxicated
boaters in Gastineau Channel



JUNEAU, Alaska — Two intoxicated boaters were rescued by a Coast Guard Station Juneau crew in Gastineau Channel near downtown Juneau after their canoe capsized Saturday.

Personnel at the Sector Juneau command center received a call from a local resident reporting seeing the people in the water near the Douglas Island bridge at 8:14 p.m. A 25-foot Coast Guard rescue crew was immediately launched and located the two boaters and safely brought them into the rescue boat 15 minutes later.

After being rescued it was determined the two were intoxicated and they were taken to Station Juneau and counseled on the dangers being intoxicated while boating and the survivability of falling in Alaskan waters. Their medical condition was checked by the city fire department and reported in good condition. Both people declined further medical attention and were released to a friend.

While there is no state law against canoeing or kayaking and drinking, it is not recommended. The Coast Guard remin ds boaters that operating a motorized watercraft or boat and drinking is against Alaska state law. In either case you are endangering the lives of yourself and others.

Weather conditions at the time of the incident were reported as winds at 8 mph with seas to one foot, overcast skies and rain.

Operation Dry Water, a national public education and enforcement campaign designed to raise awareness of the dangers of boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, is being conducted June 25 to 28. The Coast Guard and Alaska Wildlife Troopers will be out on the water conducting patrols and enforcing Alaska’s DUI laws, which encompass operating motorized boats while impaired. Additional patrols may be conducted around the state during Fourth of July celebrations.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: July 01, 2010
Contact:  District 5 Public Affairs

Coast Guard continues search
for 1 near Oregon Inlet, N.C.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Coast Guard crews continue the search for a missing fisherman 30 miles off the coast of Oregon Inlet.

Missing is Bobby Barbers, 54.

Crewmembers of the Gallant Fox called Sector North Carolina watchstanders at 5 a.m. to report Barbers had fallen overboard.  Barbers had been wearing a black t-shirt, denim shorts, and no life jacket.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Cochito, homeported in Norfolk, Va., an HC-130J Herclues airplane crew and an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew based at Air Station Elizabeth City, are searching for Barbers.

Coast Guard crews have searched more than 1,115 square nautical miles.

The winds on scene are 15 to 20 knots, the seas are 3 to 6 feet, the air temperature is 72 degrees and the water temperature is 82 degrees.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: July 02, 2010
Contact:  District 7 Public Affairs

Coast Guard Searching for missing North
Carolina man off coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C.



MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The Coast Guard, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are searching for a missing boater approximately 11-miles southeast of Myrtle Beach Friday.

Missing is Thomas "Andy" Richmond of Ocean Isle Beach, N.C.

Coast Guard Sector Charleston, S.C., search-and-rescue coordinators received a call at 11:20 p.m. Thursday that the unmanned 28ft boat "Heads or Tails" was located on the beach with its engines running. The boat is reportedly owned by Richmond.

The Coast Guard launched a MH-65 rescue helicopter crew from Air Facility Charleston, a MHC-130 air crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., and 47-foot rescue boat crews from Coast Guard Station Georgetown, S.C., and Station Oak Island, N.C.

In addition, the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin, homeported in Charleston, and the 140-foot Coast Guard Cutter Thunder Bay, homeported in Rockland, Maine, are also assisting in the search.

The Coast Guard is asking that anybody with information about or the whereabouts of Richmond, please contact the Coast Guard command center in Charleston at 843-740-7050.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: July 01, 2010
Contact:  District 14 Public Affairs

U.S. Coast Guard rescue crews
medically evacuate ill fisherman

MEDEVAC VIDEO


U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Darrell Leciejewski, a rescue swimmer stationed at Air Station Barbers Point, transfers an ill fisherman to awaiting staff at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center after completing a medical evacuation 150 miles southwest of Oahu, July 1, 2010. The 59-year-old captain of the fishing vessel Pacific Blue (right) was medically evacuated from his vessel 370 miles southwest of Oahu, June 30, 2010. After the successful hoist, he was then flown to the Coast Guard Cutter Rush and traveled until they reached 150 miles from Oahu when the Dolphin’s rescue crew was able to continue the medical evacuation. USCG photos by PO3 Michael De Nyse.

HONOLULU — U.S. Coast Guard crewmembers aboard an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter, from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Honolulu, medically evacuated an ill fisherman that was aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Rush, 150 miles southwest of Oahu, Thursday.

The 59-year-old captain of the fishing vessel Pacific Blue was medically evacuated from his vessel 370 miles southwest of Oahu, Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. After the successful hoist, he was then flown to the Rush. The Rush traveled until they were within 150 miles from Oahu when the Dolphin’s rescue crew was able to take off and continue the medical evacuation.

The Dolphin’s crew transferred the fisherman to awaiting staff at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at 11 a.m., Thursday.
Crewmembers aboard the Rush and the Dolphin got underway to assist this rescue Tuesday evening. In an effort to increase the Dolphin’s transit distance, the crew landed aboard the Rush as they traveled to the ill fisherman.

Watchstanders here in the 24-hour Coast Guard Command Center received a call Monday at 11:30 a.m., from a family member concerned about the health of the 59-year-old captain. The family member reported his brother was feeling very ill and in need of immediate medical assistance.

The crew of the Pacific Blue was 820 nautical miles southwest of Oahu at the time of the initial report.

A crew aboard an HC-130 Hercules airplane, from Air Station Barbers Point, was also launched to assist this medevac to provide cover from above.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

Date: July 02, 2010

1 Dead, 6 Hurt In Boat Collision
12-Year-Old In Serious Condition After 2 Boats Collide In Lake St. Clair


Click on photo for video news broadcast

ST. CLAIR SHORES, Mich. — A wreck on the waters of Lake St. Clair early Friday morning has left one person dead and six others injured..

Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel said 10 people went flying into the water when two boats collided around 1 a.m.

Initially a man was reported missing, but divers discovered his body around 6:30 a.m.

The deceased has been identified as 27-year-old Eric Alex Morey of Clawson.

Hackel said a 12-year-old boy remains in critical conditions while the other injured boaters are in stable.

A resident nearby, Daniel McAndrews, said he listens to the mayday radio all of the time.

He heard the mayday, went out to the water with his salvage boat and helped rescue the nine people.

McAndrews said this is the twelfth rescue he has been a part of, but mostly boaters who ran out of gas or needed assistance.

He said all of the victims had life jackets on or were holding them.

The vessels involved with the crash werea 1987 Wellcraft, which police said may have been at fault.

The second boat was a 1983 31' Formula.

Police do not think alcohol was involved.

"Right now we think it was more of a night time navigational issue as opposed to drinking, but it's early in our investigation," Hackel said.

Both boats sank after the collision. Salvage crews spent the afternoon retrieving them.

Friends and co-workers of Morey, who worked at Jiffy Lube in Royal Oak, said they were informed of Morey's death by his father.

"It wasn't real. I thought it was a dream. I couldn't believe it was happening," said co-worker Joshua McBride. "He was a real good person. He would have helped anybody. If you needed something, he would give it to you. He would do whatever he could to help you."

Friends said Morey was a loving father.

"He loved life and he loved that boat," said friend Steve Mathews. "All he talked about for the last month was getting out on the water ... we lost a real good guy here."

Morey's son was not on the boat but his brother and nephews were.

Original Article

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: July 03, 2010
Contact:  District 1 Public Affairs

Emergency responders rescue
174 persons from sinking vessel

 

BOSTON — The Coast Guard, with the assistance of Good Samaritans and state and local agencies removed 168 passengers and six crewmembers off the 87 foot passenger vessel Massachusetts after it ran aground and began taking on water off the coast of Deer Island, Mass. Saturday July 3, 2010.

The Coast Guard received a call from the vessel around 10:04 a.m. stating that the 87 foot vessel was hard aground and was blocking the channel in President Roads coming into Boston.

Coast Guard crewmembers from stations Point Allerton and Boston, Good Samaritans state and local agencies removed everyone off the vessel and have taken them to Pemberton Pier in Hull, Mass.



The Massachusetts is located just outside the channel allowing traffic to move safely through the area.

There is a report of one knee and one back injury. Their conditions are unknown at this time.

A Falcon Jet crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod observed a slight sheen around the vessel. Coast Guard investigators are en route to investigate and determine the best course of action.

The Coast Guard is working closely with the owners of the Massachusetts to determine a salvage plan for the vessel.

The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.

The Massachusetts is an 87-foot passenger vessel based in Boston.

The YouTube video was taken from the Air Station Cape Cod Falcon jet and does not have audio.

District 1 release 01
District 1 release 02
District 1 release 03
District 1 release 04

Text from Coast Guard News

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: July 03, 2010
Contact:  District 11 Public Affairs

Coast Guard Group Humboldt Bay units
rescue three from overturned sailboat

MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. — Coast Guard units from Group Humboldt Bay rescued three sailors from an overturned sailboat 20 miles off the coast of Fort Bragg, Calif., this afternoon.

The 32-foot catamaran, Calypso, was transiting from Crescent City, Calif., to Alameda, Calif., when it suddenly capsized in steep waves.

At 12:44 p.m., the Coast Guard received an emergency position indicating radio beacon signal from the Calypso. The beacon, mounted on the sailboat, can be turned on in an emergency to transmit the GPS position, identity of the vessel and other information to a network of satellites orbiting the earth.  The EPIRB showed  the Calypso was approximately 20 miles from the coast of Fort Bragg. The signal from the EPIRB was the only distress signal received by the Coast Guard from the catamaran.

The Calypso’s crew reported that in the early morning hours, winds increased to 45 knots and the crew manually activated their EPRIB, believing that their lives were in peril.  Immediately after activating the radio beacon, the boat capsized, pinning the crew beneath its overturned hull.  The crew managed to get out from beneath the vessel and grab onto the hull, spending more than an hour in the frigid Pacific Ocean waters.

The Coast Guard used the registration information from the beacon to contact the family of the vessel’s crew. The family reported the Calypso crew had left a float plan, which is a description of the boat, number of passengers aboard, a description of the safety equipment aboard, destination and estimated time of arrival.

 “The float plan allowed us to confirm information about the vessel, create a better plan and expedite our search,” said Lt. George Suchanek, an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter pilot that responded to the call.

Coast Guard Group Humboldt Bay immediately dispatched a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Noyo River in Fort Bragg, Calif., and an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Humboldt Bay in McKinleyville, Calif.

The motor lifeboat crew reported seas were 14 to 16 feet and the lifeboat’s transit to the Calypso was predicted to take an hour because of the conditions.  The helicopter crew reported 35-knot winds.

The helicopter arrived on scene first and started following the radio beacon signal from the catamaran’s EPIRB.  The helicopter located the overturned boat, its hull blending in with the white-capped waves, and descended to a hover over the vessel where the crew spotted three people clinging to the hull as waves washed over the boat. 

“Another key to finding this crew was that they stayed with their vessel.  It is much easier to find a boat, even an overturned boat, in the ocean than an individual person,” said Lt.j.g. Bernie Garrigan, the Dolphin helicopter co-pilot.

With the 47-foot motor lifeboat eight minutes away, the helicopter crew decided to lower it's rescue swimmer, Petty Officer 2nd Class David Foreman, an emergency medical technician, down to the crew of the overturned Calypso to assess their condition. Foreman entered the water and swam to the catamaran where he noticed that all three sailors were showing signs of hypothermia. He then requested that the helicopter hoist the three survivors into the aircraft for transport to a hospital.

The crew of the catamaran were not wearing survival suits or life jackets.

The helicopter hoisted all three sailors and decided to let the motor lifeboat crew pick up the rescue swimmer. With the rescue swimmer safely aboard the motor lifeboat, the helicopter flew to Ukiah Airport and transferred the three sailors to waiting emergency medical services.

The Coast Guard reminds mariners that the maritime environment is extremely dangerous and this case serves as a reminder to wear your life jackets at all times and equip your vessel with the the latest safety gear, including a VHF radio, flares and an emergency radio beacon.  Mariners are recommended to file float plans with loved ones or friends ashore, so someone may provide information about the vessel and their intended voyage timeline to the Coast Guard during emergencies.

“If you ever wanted to hear a story about how important it is to have a registered EPIRB on your vessel and a float plan ashore, look no further than this case.  Without that piece of electronic gear aboard the Calypso, this would be the story of a maritime disaster, not a story with a happy ending,” said Lt. Todd Vorenkamp, a Coast Guard spokesperson.

“That EPIRB saved their lives,” said Suchanek.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: July 03, 2010
Contact:  District 11 Public Affairs

Coast Guard Group Humboldt Bay
rescues kayaker off Trinidad Head


An onlooker watches as Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Dent, an aviation survival technician stationed at Air Station Humboldt Bay, and a rescued kayaker are hoisted to safety, July 4, 2010. The Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued the kayaker after he overturned in the surf and swam to the rocks. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Todd Vorenkamp
 
MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. — A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a man from the rocks on the north side of Trinidad Head this morning, after his kayak overturned in the surf.

The man was kayaking with his wife when his boat overturned, and he could not right himself.  He elected to separate from the kayak while submerged and swam towards the cliffs of Trinidad Head.

A Good samaritan had just pulled up to the beach parking lot to watch the waves and eat breakfast when he saw the kayak capsize.  He immediately called 911 and the California Highway Patrol forwarded the call to the Coast Guard.  As the Coast Guard prepared to deploy assets, the communications center at Group Humboldt Bay issued an urgent marine information broadcast on marine VHF radio channels.

Soon after the broadcast, the Trinidad Water Taxi launched from the Trinidad boat ramp and proceeded to the scene.

The Coast Guard dispatched a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Humboldt Bay and an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Humboldt Bay.  The water taxi motored around the north end of Trinidad Head and spotted the gentleman’s wife and made contact with her.  She was able to board the water taxi and then relay the position of her husband and his apparent condition to the Coast Guard.

“The Good samaritan on the beach and the Trinidad Water Taxi were key to the successful outcome of this case.  Without a call from the beach, and without the help of the Trinidad Water Taxi, who kept an eye on the kayaker throughout the entire rescue, this could have ended differently,” said Lt. Adam Wolfe, the Dolphin helicopter co-pilot.

Once the helicopter arrived one scene, the crew contacted the water taxi on marine radio and was directed into position above the cliff.  The helicopter entered a hover above the man and lowered their rescue swimmer down to a relatively flat area. The rescue swimmer made verbal contact with the gentleman, and the kayaker did not report any injuries. 


In the photo above left, Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Dent, an aviation survival technician stationed at Air Station Humboldt Bay, clings to a cliff face to rescue a stranded kayaker on Trinidad Head.  In the right photo above Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Dent, an aviation survival technician stationed at Air Station Humboldt Bay, escorts the kayaker from an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter to emergency medical services. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Andre Blanchard

“This was definitely not a standard case,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Brendan Dent, the Dolphin helicopter rescue swimmer.  “It wasn’t really a water rescue, and it wasn’t really a cliff rescue because of his position in the crevasse.”

Both men were then hoisted safely into the helicopter and transported to Arcata Airport where emergency medical services met the aircraft at the Coast Guard Air Station.

“The position of this kayaker was such that we had to hover pretty close to the cliff,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Andre Blanchard, the Dolphin helicopter flight mechanic.

EMS evaluated the gentleman and released him at the Air Station.

“It shows you how dynamic and unforgiving the maritime environment can be on the Northern California coast.  These folks were experienced kayakers that had all of the best safety gear, including life jackets, helmets and waterproof hand-held marine VHF radios," said Lt. Todd Vorenkamp, a Coast Guard spokesman and pilot stationed at Air Station Humboldt Bay. "They had their names and phone numbers posted on their kayaks as well – something critical for not only search and rescue but for having your gear returned to you if you get separated from it.  However, despite all of these precautions and experience, they were overcome by the conditions and ended up in distress.”


The Coast Guard reminds mariners that the maritime environment is extremely dangerous and mariners should keep an eye on weather and sea conditions at all times, know your personal limits, and ensure that you wear your life jacket and have safety gear in good condition whenever you venture out on the water.

“It was definitely a good way to start a 4th of July duty day,” said Lt. Michael Chocholak, the helicopter pilot.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: July 06, 2010
Contact:  District 17 Public Affairs

Coast Guard rescues four
Fairbanks men from Deer Cove


Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Erich Klingner, aviation survival technician with Air Station Kodiak, poses with four Fairbanks men at the Valdez airport after an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew rescued them from a beach in Deer Cove on the west side of Hinchinbrook Island July 5, 2010. A wave swamped their 25-foot recreational boat, but the men managed to get the boat to shore but it subsequently tipped on its side causing all of their gear to become wet. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Byrd.

KODIAK, Alaska — A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, forward deployed to Cordova, rescued four Fairbanks men off a beach in Deer Cove on the west side of Hinchinbrook Island Monday evening.

Justin Bezona, Kary, Tony and Kody Fuller's 25-foot recreational boat became swamped after a wave reportedly came over the stern of the boat and water entered the fuel tank causing it to become disabled. The men managed to get the boat to shore but it subsequently tipped on its side causing all of their gear to become wet.

The Alaska State Troopers received a cell phone call from Kary stating their situation and requesting assistance. The troopers relayed the information to Coast Guard Sector Anchorage watchstanders who in turn launched the helicopter crew from Cordova.

The rescue helicopter crew arrived on scene about 8:40 p.m. and found the men in good condition. The men were safely transported to Valdez where they were released. They did not require any medical attention.

The vessel is reported to have approximately 140 gallons of fuel on board and grounded on a soft gravel shore. Marine Safety Unit Valdez is investigating the incident.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

Coast Guard Helicopter
Crashes off Washington Coast

Published July 07, 2010
Associated Press

LA PUSH, Wash. — A spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard says one of its helicopters has gone down off the Washington coast, and two of its crew members are missing.

Petty officer Nathan Bradshaw in Seattle says rescue crews are looking for the missing crew off the waters of James Island, near La Push, Wash. The helicopter was carrying a crew of four. La Push is about 100 miles west of Seattle.

Bradshaw says the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter was traveling from Astoria, Ore., to Sitka, Alaska. The Coast Guard lost contact with the chopper around 9:30 a.m.

The Coast Guard says two of the crew members were retrieved by a civilian and have been transferred to a local hospital.

UPDATE:  Third member of 4 man crew found

[BuoyJumper]

News Release
Date: July 06, 2010
Contact:  District 17 Public Affairs

Coast Guard responds to grounded
passenger vessel near Robert Island



KODIAK, Alaska — Crews from the Coast Guard Cutter Liberty and Air Station Sitka are responding to the grounding of a 75-foot uninspected passenger vessel after it reportedly struck a rock while nine passengers and four crewmembers were humpback whale watching near Port Houghton west of Robert Island Tuesday afternoon.

The motor vessel Catalyst ran aground on Robert Island, a small island about 68 miles south of Juneau.  The vessel’s crew transported the passengers and other crewmembers to Robert Island in a skiff.

Coast Guard Sector Juneau command center watchstanders received notification of the grounding from the Catalyst’s captain about 11:15 a.m. The captain reported the vessel had approximately 1,600 gallons of diesel on board and there were no signs of pollution or visual damage.

Coast Guard Cutter Liberty crew was diverted to the scene and arrived about 3:15 p.m.  and  a Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew is scheduled to conduct an overflight later this afternoon to assess the situation.

The Catalyst’s captain is currently aboard the vessel and reports the vessel has listed 20 degrees to the starboard side and intends to wait for high tide to refloat the vessel.  High tide is expected around 6:30 p.m.

The Coast Guard will investigate the cause of the incident.  No injuries were reported.

The Catalyst is homeported out of Friday Harbor, Wash.  The Liberty is a 110-foot multi-mission patrol boat homeported in Auke Bay and operates in the waters around Southeast Alaska.

News Release

[BuoyJumper]

KansasCitycom

3 dead after Coast Guard
copter crash off Washington
By MANUEL VALDES
Associated Press Writer
July 07, 2010


CNN VIDEO with ADM Blore


Emergency workers carry an injured crew member from a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter that crashed off James Island near LaPush, Wash. on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 to a waiting ambulance. Officials say three U.S. Coast Guard crew members are dead and one is in a Seattle hospital.

LaPush, WA. — A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crashed a few hundred yards off the coast of Washington state on Wednesday, killing three of four crew members on board.

Rear Adm. Gary Blore, commander of the 13th Coast Guard district, said the cause of the crash is not known but that there were downed power lines on the beach near the helicopter's wreckage.

Witnesses told local media that the helicopter was flying at a low altitude when it approached La Push, Wash., a small outpost on the Quileute Nation reservation. It is about 100 miles west of Seattle, on Washington's Olympic Peninsula.

Blore said it's not unusual for Coast Guard helicopters to fly low. He said the power lines had been about 250 feet above the water level and that those lines are marked in navigational charts.

Quileute tribal member Rio Jaime told the Peninsula Daily News that he saw the helicopter clip the power lines with its tail, sending it down to the water.

"It took us a little bit to realize that really happened," he said. "It was like in the movies."

News footage showed the orange color of the helicopter's body with the wheels showing through the blue Pacific Ocean water. A rotor blade was also seen sticking out of the water.

The identities of the dead guardsmen were not immediately released Wednesday afternoon, pending family notification, Blore said. The lone survivor, who suffered nonlife-threatening injuries including a broken arm and leg, was also not identified.

Blore said the four-member crew of the MH-60 Jayhawk was flying from Astoria, Ore., to Sitka, Alaska, where they were based.

Around 9:30 a.m., the Coast Guard lost communication with the helicopter, prompting bases in Astoria and Port Angeles, Wash., to launch search helicopters.

Members of the Quileute Nation who heard the crash rushed out to the water.

Darryl Penn, the harbormaster for the Quileute Nation in La Push, said he and three others raced out to the wreckage on two small boats and were able to reach two of the crew members, who were "pretty banged up." He found one in the water with a wet suit on and the other in the wreckage.

"You know, these guys are out here for us, for the guys who fish," Penn said. "When they go down, it's scary."

Three members were recovered by tribal members, who performed CPR on at least one of them.

Blore said all four crew members were found outside of the helicopter.

The crash "particularly hits home and certainly as a naval aviator," Blore said, his voice breaking. "We're saddened."

Original Article

[BuoyJumper]

ydr.com    York Daily Record

Coast Guard Suspends search for 2 missing
students after Philly duck boat collision
By PATRICK WALTERS and GEOFF MULVIHILL
Associated Press
07/08/2010

 
                                                                                           Incredible photo of the barge running over the duck tour boat.

PHILADELPHIA — Sandy Cohen looked up from the deck of a small, amphibious tourist boat stalled in the river to see a barge towering three stories above and approaching fast, clearly not about to stop. Then came the screams.

Over the next few seconds of terror, she and other passengers fumbled to put on life jackets and sought cover as best they could. Next came a crash, the boat flipped over, and 37 people aboard were plunged into the Delaware River.

Cohen came to the surface, clinging to the life jacket she had managed to snag seconds before. A Hungarian teenager on the tour was hanging onto the jacket, too.

A photo obtained by Philadelphia television stations shows the barge as it rides up on the stern of the sightseeing "duck" boat and starts pushing the vessel underwater. It would sink to the bottom of the Delaware River.

Two other Hungarian passengers, part of the same language program as the teenager who shared Cohen's life jacket, remained missing late Thursday, a day after the accident. The Coast Guard suspended its search for the two, 16-year-old Dora Schwendtner and 20-year-old Szablcs Prem, just before 7 p.m. Thursday. Petty Officer Crystal Kneen says the Coast Guard searches only "as long as the possibility of survival is there."

The boat had no history of mechanical problems before it caught fire, said Chris Herschend, president of Ride the Ducks, the Norcross, Ga.-based company that owns it. He said the captain appears to have followed all proper procedures during the emergency. The company hoped to raise the boat soon.

The crews of the tourist boat and a tugboat pushing the barge tested negative for alcohol. Drug test results were not expected for about a week.

The first sign of trouble came when smoke started to roll out of the boat's engine as it entered the water, the 67-year-old Cohen told The Associated Press in a phone interview Thursday from her home in Durham, N.C.

The tour guide told passengers that a tug boat would be on its way to carry them back to shore, Cohen said. She was on the phone with her husband to let him know she'd be late before the call ended abruptly - as other passengers began screaming.

"Someone said, 'Oh my God, there's a barge coming, and it doesn't look like it's stopping,'" she said.

She grabbed for a life jacket from a hook above her seat as the boat was struck and started to sink. She was quickly underwater, grabbing the jacket with one hand as her feet tangled up with those of others.

When she surfaced, she said, she realized a girl was also hanging onto the jacket.

"I just told her, 'Don't let go,' and made sure we both stayed calm," she said.

They were rescued five to 10 minutes later.

"It was a very harrowing experience. It was surreal," Cohen said.

The Hungarian group on the tour was hosted by Marshallton United Methodist Church in suburban Philadelphia. It included 13 Hungarian students; two Hungarian teachers; three U.S. teachers and four U.S. students. The church planned a prayer service for Thursday night.

The two Hungarian teachers returned to the accident scene Thursday as a part of group that included Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and a Hungarian consulate representative. Nutter said he apologized to the counsel and the people who were on the boat.

The tour company suspended operations nationwide Thursday, a day after suspending its Philadelphia tours. It also operates tours in San Francisco, Atlanta, Newport, Ky., and Branson, Mo. A Ride the Ducks operation in Seattle is independently owned and remained open for business.

The six-wheeled duck boat had just driven into the river Wednesday afternoon when it had a mechanical problem and a small fire, authorities said. It was struck about 10 minutes later by the barge, and capsized.

Most of the people aboard were plucked from the river by other vessels in a frantic rescue operation that happened in full view of Penn's Landing, just south of the Ben Franklin Bridge connecting Philadelphia to New Jersey.

Ten people were taken to a hospital; two declined treatment, and eight were treated and released, a hospital official said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it would try to obtain any radio recordings, any possible mayday calls, photographs from witnesses or people aboard and other evidence over the next several days.

The Coast Guard received a transmission over an emergency channel around the time of the collision, Capt. Todd Gatlin said, but no voices or other recognizable sounds could be discerned. Gatlin likened the transmission to radio interference, but said that discovering its origin would be part of the NTSB's investigation.

Another passenger on the duck boat said she heard the captain calling for help - and moments later she was under water.

"The last thing I remember hearing was (the duck boat captain) on the radio saying, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa!'" said Tina Rosebrook, 30, of Davidson, N.C., who was touring Philadelphia's historic sites with her 10-year-old daughter and 12-year-old niece.

Rosebrook said there was less than a minute from the time the barge was spotted until the crash. She got life jackets on the girls, but not herself, and she ended up underwater against the bow of the barge, which dwarfed the tour boat, sticking 30 feet out of the water.

"I can feel the barge kind of on top of me," she recalled. "I'm feeling it with my hands."

She came to the surface and found a life jacket floating nearby. By then, she said, the girls were safely floating with other passengers. Police helped them get out of the water within a few minutes.

Ride the Ducks has been in Philadelphia since 2003. Passengers are driven on a tour of the Old City neighborhood near Independence Hall before riding into the Delaware River from a ramp south of the Ben Franklin Bridge.

As of 2000, there were more than 250 refurbished amphibious vehicles in service nationwide among various operators.

In Pennsylvania, agencies ranging from the Coast Guard to Philadelphia's streets department have a hand in regulating the duck boats.

The Coast Guard performs annual inspections of the vessels' seaworthiness, and because they travel city streets they are also registered with the state Department of Transportation.

Inspection records for the sunken duck boat have been turned over to the NTSB, Gatlin said.

A duck boat sank at Hot Springs, Ark., in May 1999, killing 13 of the 21 people aboard after its bilge pump failed. The NTSB blamed inadequate maintenance and recommended that duck boats have backup flotation devices. In June 2002, four people were killed when an amphibious tour boat, the Lady Duck, sank in the Ottawa River near Canada's Parliament.

Original Article