Guard Commander Points to Effective Distress Signaling for Timely Rescue

The Coast Guard successfully completed a helicopter rescue to the sailing vessel LULA after it ran aground near Santa Cruz Island on Thanksgiving day.

The watchstanders at the Coast Guard's Long Beach Command Center received a notification that a vessel's Digital Selective Calling distress signal had been activated in the vicinity of Santa Cruz. After making radio calls on VHF Channel 16, the watchstanders were able to determine that the distress signal came from the LULA, a ship that ran aground with 2 aboard. The stranded mariners had abandoned their vessel upon the rocks and left it adrift, making their way further ashore. The command center launched a helicopter from Forward Operating Base Point Mugu, with a 45-foot response boat from the nearby Channel Islands station to conduct the rescue.

Once on scene, the helicopter and response boat crews determined that due to unsafe conditions on the rocks, the best course of action would be to rescue the mariners through a direct airlift, descending to pluck them from the ground and return them to Point Mugu.

“Thankfully, they had a DSC-equipped radio which is how we were able to locate them,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Tate Lewis, a member of the helicopter rescue team. “We are grateful we were able to conduct a safe rescue and get them home to their families in time for Thanksgiving.”

“This case is a great example of why having multiple means to communicate distress to the Coast Guard is worth the investment," said Commander Quentin Long, a search and rescue mission coordinator at Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach. "Before the survivors were able to make a direct call to our command center and after abandoning their vessel, we had already received good locational data for a reasonable search area, based on the DSC alert.”

"We advise the boating public to familiarize themselves with this function on their radios, ensure the registration information is current, and use it if ever in distress," said Long.

As sister industries, aviation and nautical travel share much in common, making stories like this an interesting gander into a similar world. The Guard stresses the use of DSC-equipped radios for just this sort of occasion. Within minutes of activation, rescuers are able to get a bead on the imperiled seamen, minimizing their all-important response time to hopefully shoot for the "golden hour". A valuable reminder of the need to ensure ELT capability and familiarity with emergency procedures, for sure. 

FMI: www.news.uscg.mil