Two Rescues This Week Highlight Importance Of Whirlybirds

Coast Guard helicopters came to the rescue of two boaters in distress this week.

On Tuesday, a Coast Guard HH-60 (type shown above) airlifted a 50-year-old male from a fishing vessel 80 miles northwest of Lincoln City, OR. The crew of the 40-foot vessel Karen Jan contacted Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, OR, by high-frequency radio Monday at 9:29 pm to request assistance for a man with a medical condition.

The HH-60 crew, from Air Station Astoria, was launched and later hoisted the man. The crew transferred him to an awaiting ambulance in Astoria.

On the other side of the country -- and not even 12 hours later -- another Coast Guard helo rescued one person from a 32-foot sailboat south of Apalachicola, FL early Wednesday morning.

A watchstander at Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans received the distress call with a report of a disabled and damaged sailing vessel with one man aboard. The man contacted his wife via cell phone stating that his vessel had lost electrical power, propulsion, and high winds had significantly damaged his main sail leaving him essentially adrift for over five hours. The boat was located approximately 20 miles south of St. George Island, Florida.

Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans launched an HH-65C Dolphin helicopter crew to rescue the man. The crew arrived on scene to find the vessel floundering in six-to-eight foot seas... and over 30 knots of wind.

The rescue swimmer was deployed to the water near the vessel, assisted the man into the rescue basket and both were hoisted safely into the helicopter (type shown above). The aircrew transported the man to Apalachicola Municipal Airport, and later released him in excellent condition.

Score two more wins for the whirlybirds... nice job, everybody.

FMI: www.uscg.mil