Guard Air Station Kodiak Recovered 3 After Brief Search

A Coast Guard aircrew rescued stranded teens when their family reported them missing following a hunting trip. The teenagers, ages 13-16 were overdue to return when the Coast Guard received a request from Alaska State Troopers for assistance in the search.

The missing teens had reportedly departed the day before aboard an 18-foot flat bottom vessel for a day trip when they did not return the night of October 4 as planned. One of the teens had used their cell phone at 1700 hrs the day of the trip, but not other indications could be found. The Coast Guard Jayhawk Helicopter was en route to the approximate search area, when an Alaska State pilot already searching on site found the teens and their wayward boat on the western side of Selawik Lake. The Jayhawk immediately diverted to their location to land and recover the teens. All were in good condition at time of rescue.

This rescue marks another successful operation for the seasonal forward operating station established in Kotzebue, Alaska. For portions of the year, Air Station Kodiak transfers airframes and equipment to Kotzebue to reduce response time in the Bering Strait and Northern Slopes throughout the summer months. The recovery operation here proves Commander Molly Hayes, operational planner, correct when she said “Pre-staging... saves critical time and resources when conducting missions in the Arctic region.”

The forward operating location is run in support of the annual Operation Arctic Shield, which supports the Guard’s rapid and proactive mobilization of resources throughout the northwestern portion of Alaska.

FMI: www.uscg.mil