Man Falls In Detroit River

CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard rescued a man from the Detroit River in the vicinity of the river walk near Coast Guard Sector Detroit late afternoon Monday.

The name and hometown of the man rescued are not being released and there is no Coast Guard imagery at this time.

At 4:10 p.m., construction workers notified two Coast Guardsmen standing outside the sector grounds of a person in the water. The Coast Guardsmen relayed the information to a search-and-rescue coordinator in the command center and kept watch on the man in the water. The search-and-rescue coordinator directed the launch of a rescue crew from Coast Guard Station Belle Isle in Detroit.

A rescue boat crew, aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium, arrived on scene at 4:28 p.m., and pulled the man from the water. The rescue crew immediately started CPR as they transferred the man to awaiting emergency medical services that were at the sector boat docks.

The man was unresponsive when transfered to EMS, but revived after continued CPR during transport to St. John Hospital in Detroit.

“A quick response and immediate action by the crew helped save this man’s life,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Thomas Chegin, coxswain of the Coast Guard rescue boat. “This is what we train for every day and because of that training we were ready.”

The Coast Guard reminds anyone recreating in and around the water to remain aware of their surroundings and vigilant to hazards at all times. Although the ice is mostly gone, the water temperature remains very cold. The water temperature was 37 degrees Monday night.

As the spring season arrives and more boaters and swimmers make their way out near or on the water, the Coast Guard asks that citizens watch out for each other and call the Coast Guard for help if they can’t safely render assistance.

Six Rescued After Vessel Sinks Off Maui

HONOLULU – Six fishermen are safe after their vessel began taking on water and sank approximately two miles off the coast of Kahoolawe, Maui, Monday.

Coast Guard Sector Honolulu watchstanders received a radio call from the captain of the 43-foot charter fishing vessel Piper at 12 p.m. The captain reported the vessel was sinking and passengers were putting on lifejackets. The six people aboard the Piper abandoned ship and climbed into a life raft.

A crew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Coast Guard Station Maui was launched. Watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast over VHF marine radio channel 16 to notify other vessels in the area of the emergency and the need for immediate assistance. The crew aboard the recreational vessel Misti III responded and rescued the passengers and crew. The Misti III transported the six survivors to Ma'alaea Harbor where emergency medical services met them. No serious injuries were reported.

The vessel sank in approximately 1,200 feet of water and has an unspecified amount of diesel fuel aboard. The Coast Guard will continue to monitor the situation for any evidence of pollution or debris from the vessel. No pollution is currently visible. The sinking is under investigation and is being treated as a serious marine incident by the Coast Guard.

Mariners are reminded to have all required safety equipment aboard their vessels. Marine incidents can occur quickly and without warning. In this instance, a marine VHF radio, lifejackets and a life raft played critical roles in ensuring the survival of the passengers and crew of the Piper.

42-year-old Man Medevaced From Fishing Vessel

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The Coast Guard medevaced a 42-year-old man from a fishing vessel approximately 60 miles southeast of Ocean City Saturday.

Personnel aboard the fishing vessel Atlantic Warrior contacted Coast Guard watchstanders at approximately 9:30 p.m. Saturday, reporting a man aboard was experiencing pain and required medical assistance.

Watchstanders dispatched a crew aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City  and an HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., to assist.

The Dolphin helicopter crew arrived on scene at approximately 10:30 p.m., lowered a rescue swimmer to the deck of the Atlantic Warrior, hoisted the man and the rescue swimmer into the helicopter and took the man to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.

Man Falls 20 Feet Aboard Cyprus Flagged Tanker Off Texas

HOUSTON — A 28-year-old man was medevaced after sustaining about a 20-foot fall aboard a tanker in the fairway anchorage off Sabine, approximately 55 miles southeast of Port Arthur, Saturday afternoon.

The captain of the 800-foot Cyprus flagged tanker, Nordmark, radioed watchstanders at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston for assistance, reporting that a crewmember had sustained an injury to his back after falling in the engineering space.

An aircrew was launched aboard an MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter from Air Station Houston to assist.

The aircrew hoisted the man from the tanker and transported him to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Beaumont for medical care.

The man was transported in stable condition.

"It's a good thing the Coast Guard is able to respond to these kind of emergency situations," said Bill Segelken, a watchstander at the sector. "The Coast Guard recognizes that accidents happen and it is important for us to be there, because we are the only ones with the capabilities to conduct medical evacuations from boats.

"Fall related injuries are relatively unique. We probably do accident related medevacs once a month or so."

Segelken noted the more common accidents are from fishing vessels from men working in fishing gear, anchor chains and lines.

4 Boaters Rescued Near Charleston Harbor

CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Coast Guard aided in a rescue of four people from a capsized vessel 11 miles off of the Charleston Harbor Saturday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Charleston received notification of the 28-foot pleasure craft taking on water with four adults aboard at 5:39 p.m. Saturday via the boater's VHF-FM marine radio.

Watchstanders immediately issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast over VHF radio, requesting for other boaters' in the area to assist.

Hearing the distress call over the radio, a Charleston Branch Pilot boat located the then capsized vessel and recovered all four boaters from the water at 6:40 p.m.

Crewmembers from Coast Guard Station Charleston transferred the boaters from the pilot boat and aboard the Coast Guard 41-foot Utility Boat at 6:44 p.m.

The boaters were transported to the shore with no medical concerns. All four boaters were reported to be wearing a life jacket.

All mariners are encouraged to invest in a VHF-FM marine-band radio as their primary means of communication on the water. VHF-FM marine-band radios are far more reliable than cells phones in the marine environment. The Coast Guard monitors VHF-FM Channel 16, the international hailing and distress channel, around the clock. In addition, all mariners in the vicinity will hear distress calls broadcast over VHF-FM Channel 16. Urgent safety information and weather reports for boaters are also broadcast over marine band radio channels.

Man Overboard Rescue

MIAMI - A Coast Guard Station Miami boatcrew rescued a man who had fallen in the water from his vessel approximately four miles southwest of Key Biscayne, Fla., Tuesday.

Coast Guard Sector Miami watchstanders were notified by a person aboard a 17-foot Boston Whaler stating that he and one other were aboard the vessel and it was disabled. He also stated that there was one person in the water with lacerations to their leg from the propeller and he was unable to get back in the vessel.

Watchstanders diverted a smallboat crew from Coast Guard Station Miami Beach. Once on scene, they determined that the person who fell overboard needed immediate medical assistance. The other two persons did not know how to operate the vessel and were taken aboard the smallboat. A Coast Guard crewmember drove the Boston Whaler into Dinner Key Marina where local emergency medical services were waiting to further transfer the man to a local hospital.

The man was reported to be in stable condition upon transfer.

The Coast Guard reminds all boaters to be aware of their surroundings and the importance of wearing life jackets.  To meet Coast Guard requirements, a boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, III, or V life jacket for each person aboard. Boats 16 feet and over must have at least one Type IV throwable device as well.

In the case of an emergency, VHF-FM radios are the preferred method for reporting emergencies from vessels on the water. If you have an emergency, call the Coast Guard on Channel 16 VHF-FM (156.8 MHz).

Two Rescued Near Marco Island, Fla., Due To Heavy Weather

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — Two people were rescued by Coast Guard crewmembers and Collier County Sheriff's Department members from a 37-foot sailing vessel after they became disabled in heavy seas 13 miles southwest of Marco Island, Monday.

Collier County Sheriff's Department contacted Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders at approximately 7 p.m., reporting they were able to retrieve one person from the sailing vessel but due to inclement weather they were unable to retrieve the second person.

A 41-foot Utility Boat crew from Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach was launched in approximately eight-foot seas, and arrived on scene approximately three hours later. The UTB crew was able to take the sailing vessel in tow and commenced the seven-hour transit to meet BoatU.S. to be relieved from the tow.

BoatU.S. members relieved the UTB crew at approximately 5:20 a.m., and moored the sailing vessel at Marco Island Marina.

No injuries were reported.

"It is imperative boaters check the weather before taking to the seas," said Lt. Mark Upson, a search and rescue watchstander at the sector. "Weather can be very unpredictable, so checking weather conditions can help boaters stay safe on the water."

Coast Guard Medevacs Toddler

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, deployed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Rush, medevaced a toddler and her mother from Unalaska to Cold Bay Monday.

The 18-month-old girl and her mother were flown to Cold Bay where they were safely transferred at 8:47 p.m. to a waiting Guardian Flight aircraft for further transportation to Anchorage for medical care and observation.

Coast Guard 17th District Command Center personnel received a request Monday afternoon from medical personnel at the Iliuliuk Health Clinic requesting medevac for the toddler who is reported to have consumed adult medication which could be toxic for a child.

The command center personnel directed the launch of Kodiak-based Dolphin helicopter crew from the Rush to assist the toddler in need. Due to wind conditions commercial life flight was unable to safely land at the Tom Madsen Airport in Unalaska.

“Throughout the year we have our cutters on patrol in the Bering Sea and these cutters often have helicopters deployed on board to increase search and rescue abilities in the region,” said Lt. Robert Baysden, 17th District command duty officer. “The close proximity of the Rush’s deployable helicopter crew allowed us to quickly render assistance which could prove the difference in life or death for the child.”

The toddler was reported in stable condition at the time of transfer.

The Coast Guard maintains four Dolphin helicopters at Air Station Kodiak for use in short range missions and cutter deployments. The Rush is a 378-foot high endurance cutter homeported in Honolulu.

Family Rescued While Kayaking Near Maui

HONOLULU — A group of kayakers was rescued by the Coast Guard when weather took a turn for the worst approximately three miles off the coast of Wailea, Maui, Saturday.

Coast Guard Station Maui was notified by a vessel operator in the area that four kayakers, one adult and three children, were being blown toward the open sea by approximately 25mph winds. Sea conditions worsened to swells of three to four feet.

A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Maui was conducting training in the area and diverted to the scene. All four kayakers and their kayaks were picked up and taken to shore at 2 p.m. The kayakers were wearing life jackets and uninjured.

The Coast Guard advises all mariners to check weather conditions prior to getting underway. Weather conditions in Hawaii can change rapidly and can include high wind, breaking surf and extreme currents. Individuals unfamiliar with the area are encouraged to speak with lifeguards before entering unfamiliar water in order to become familiar with local weather and ocean hazards.

Mariners are also urged to file a float plan with a responsible friend, family member or harbor master. A float plan should include the projected course, time of departure, arrival and return which will provide responders with vital information in the case of an emergency.

More information on float plans can be found at the following link: http://www.floatplancentral.org/

Four and Dog Rescued From Grounded Vessel Near San Mateo

RCN America Network
Doug Mills Editor
RCN America Maritime News

SAN FRANCISCO - The Coast Guard hoisted four people and a dog from their stranded vessel when it ran aground in an area between the San Mateo and the Dumbarton Bridges Saturday.

The Coast Guard command center in San Francisco received a call from one of four people aboard a 17-foot vessel stating that the vessel had run aground with one child, two teenagers, an adult male and a dog. There were no reported injuries.

The mariners reportedly did not have a VHF marine radio or a GPS unit aboard that would have helped pinpoint their position so the Coast Guard worked with the caller to determine the vessel’s location.  A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station San Francisco and a helicopter crew from Air Station San Francisco were deployed to assist.

The rescue boat crew was unable to get close enough to the grounded vessel because of the shallow water and low tide, so the decision was made to hoist the stranded mariners aboard the helicopter and transport them to nearby San Carlos.

“It was a good day,” said Petty Officer Ernest Child, the rescue swimmer from the air station who rescued the mariners.

Coast Guard Medevacs Ailing Cruise Ship Passenger [Video]

SAN DIEGO – U.S. Coast Guard aircrews from San Diego and Sacramento worked together to airlift a passenger in need of medical attention from a cruise ship approximately 200 miles southwest of San Diego, March 22, 2013. The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew hoisted the 71-year-old woman into the aircraft and transported her to Sector San Diego, where she was transferred to emergency medical personnel for further care. U.S. Coast Guard video by Air Station Sacramento. Available in High Definition.

"Prepared" 2 Boaters Safe South of Sabine Pass

Coast Guard boat crew members from Station Sabine Pass assist two sail boaters aboard the 45-foot Response Boat - Medium, after their sailboat was battered in severe weather 16 miles south of Sabine Pass, March 21, 2013. The sail boaters used an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon device to notify the Coast Guard that they were in distress and required immediate assistance. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. Ryan McCue)

HOUSTON — Two boaters were rescued by Coast Guard members after their sailboat was caught in rough weather south of Sabine Pass, Thursday.

The boaters activated their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon at 10:52 a.m., to notify watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston that their sailboat had suffered extensive damage due to a sudden storm, 16 miles south of Sabine Pass. Coast Guard rescue crews were launched aboard a Station Sabine Pass 45-foot response boat and an Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter at 10:59 a.m.

A Coast Guard 45-foot Response Boat - Medium navigated by boat crew members from Station Sabine Pass assist two sail boaters after their sailboat was battered in severe weather 16 miles south of Sabine Pass, March 21, 2013. The sail boaters used an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon device to notify the Coast Guard that they were in distress and required immediate assistance. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. Ryan McCue)

The rescue crews arrived on scene at 11:57 a.m., and transferred both boaters to the response boat. They were taken to Station Sabine Pass.

There were no reported injuries.

"These people were definitely prepared," said Petty Officer 1st Class Jeremy Mcclure, 8th Coast Guard District command center watchstander. "They had a device called a SPOT on board their boat that allows short messages and their GPS location to be broadcast to multiple agencies that could assist them. It's thanks to them being prepared and utilizing that emergency system that we were able to successfully conduct this search and rescue case with no problems. 


For more information on preparing yourself and your boat for the open waters go to http://www.uscgboating.org.

Coast Guard Rescues Exhausted Swimmer Near Albany, Calif.

SAN FRANCISCO – The Coast Guard rescued an exhausted swimmer in the waters near Albany, Calif., today at approximately 2 p.m.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter rescue crew responded to a report from the Coast Guard command center in San Francisco of an exhausted swimmer in the waters approximately five miles west of the Albany Waterfront Park.

Once arriving on scene, the rescue crew located a male swimmer in a wetsuit and in need of immediate assistance, as he was struggling against the outgoing current. The crew deployed a rescue swimmer to assist the distressed swimmer and hoisted him safely aboard.

He was transported to Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco where waiting emergency medical specialists from the San Francisco Fire Department assessed the survivor’s condition, treating him for exhaustion and dehydration.  He declined further medical treatment.

Coast Guard assists, Locates 4 On Grounded Workboat Near Pilottown

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard located and assisted four people aboard a workboat grounded on the lower Mississippi River near Pilottown Tuesday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report from an employee of Entergy that a 24-foot workboat with four Entergy employees aboard was aground on the left descending bank of the lower Mississippi River. The four reportedly departed from Venice between noon and 1 p.m. Monday en route to Port Eads and became lost. They were overdue for 19 hours. The four decided to stay in their current position until first responders arrived.

Following cell phone forensics analysis by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, the search area was narrowed down to approximately two miles on the lower Mississippi River north of Pilottown. Sector New New Orleans directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to the scene at approximately 8 a.m. The aircrew located the workboat and the four people aboard during the first search leg and vectored the location to a Coast Guard Station Venice 33-foot Special Purpose Craft — Law Enforcement boatcrew. Station Venice located the four approximately three and a half miles southeaat of Venice.

"This was a successful case of boaters using a signaling device, especially a large searchlight," said Lt. Caitlin MitchellWurster.  "We had just started our shoreline search, and we were still about five miles away from where we thought they were, when our aviation electronics technician saw a flashing light about two miles away - it was them," said Lt. Caitlin MitchellWurster, Air Station New Orleans MH-65 pilot.

Station Venice transported the four to the Venice Marina, where the reporting source was awaiting.

All four reported no injuries or medical concerns.

The Coast Guard recommends all boaters carry signaling devices such as flares, lights and emergency position indicating radio beacons, to name a few. The Coast Guard also reminds boaters to always wear their life jackets, since they enhance a boater's visibility to first responders and increase the chances of survival.

Man Falls From Texas Pier

Station Port Aransas

Coast Guard, fire fighter and good Samaritan save intoxicated man’s life near Port Aransas

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Coast Guard members, a fire fighter and a good Samaritan worked together to save a man's life after he fell from a pier near Port Aransas, Saturday.

John Shrier, a fire fighter for Port Aransas, jumped into the water to help the man and a good Samaritan threw a floatation device to them. Shrier wasn't able to lift the man out of the water due to strong currents, so he clung to a pilling and waited for Coast Guard assistance.

Port Aransas emergency medical services personnel contacted Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders after they witnessed the intoxicated man fall off the Station Street Pier at 11:02 p.m.

Watchstanders launched a Station Port Aransas 25-foot Response Boat — Small and rescue crew to assist.

The small boat rescue crew located Shrier and the man at 11:09 p.m., and pulled them out of the water.

“It’s just part of my job”, said Shrier. “He started to take in water, and I went in to make sure he stayed afloat. The water was pretty cold and it was dark last night, but in a situation like that, it wasn’t something you think about. The currents around the pier were actually pretty strong and more severe than I had even anticipated. People definitely need to be careful near the waterfronts around here and especially around the jetties.”

After the man was dropped back off at the pier he was arrested by the Port Aransas Police Department for public intoxication.

“We often say that drinking and boating do not mix, but the same is true in any situation around the water, ” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Matthew Vaughn, the officer in charge of Station Port Aransas. “While Spring Break can be a fun time, please remember to treat the water with respect. The intoxicated man put a rescuer’s life at risk by having to enter the water at night, and had someone not seen him fall in, he most likely would have drowned.”

Video: Coast Guard Medevacs Crewman Near Kodiak, Alaska

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak hoists a 35-year-old hypothermic crewman from the deck of the 58-foot Kodiak-based fishing vessel Stella in Shelikof Strait, Alaska, March 15, 2013.

The man fell overboard from the vessel earlier in the day and was recovered from the ocean by the remaining crew after 25 minutes in the 37.6 degree Fahrenheit water.

U.S. Coast Guard video by Air Station Kodiak.

Coast Guard Rescues 3 Boaters 28 Miles Offshore

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. — The Coast Guard rescued three people from a disabled sailing vessel with damaged sails 28 miles east of the St. Johns River early Saturday morning.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville received notification of the disabled sailing vessel, Second Wind, with three adults aboard at 10:26 p.m. Friday and immediately placed the mariners on a communications schedule, checking in with them every 30 minutes, and broadcast a request for other boaters in the area to assist.

The boaters were able to remain in contact with Coast Guardsmen and direct the rescue crews to their approximate location due to their VHF-FM marine radio.

Crewmembers from Coast Guard Station Mayport, Fla., aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium were searching for the source of a flare in another location and diverted from that search at 12:59 a.m. Saturday to assist the sailors. The boatcrew arrived on scene at 1:23 a.m. and brought the three boaters aboard the RB-M.

The sailors were transported to Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville with no injuries reported.

"Due to the deteriorating weather conditions and 5-to-6-foot seas, the Coast Guard's response was paramount in ensuring the safety of these boaters," said Sector Jacksonville watchstander, Petty Officer 1st Class Omar Colon.

Coast Guard boat and air crews saturated the area surrounding where the flare sighting was reported and found no signs of anyone in distress. The search was suspended Saturday morning.