Coast Guard Cordova FOL crew saves 66-year-old man stranded for three days on Montague Island, Alaska

A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew, forward-deployed to Cordova, poses with a man they rescued after he was stranded for three days on Montague Island near Cordova, Alaska, June 13, 2019. The man exponentially increased his own rate of survival by donning a properly sealed survival suit while being stranded in a remote portion of Alaska. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Palen.

KODIAK, Alaska – A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, forward-deployed to Cordova, rescued a 66-year-old man stranded for three days on Montague Island, Alaska, Thursday.

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The man was transferred to awaiting emergency medical services personnel in Cordova for further care. He was reported to have been dehydrated but was in stable condition upon transfer.

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At approximately 6 a.m., Sector Anchorage command center watchstanders received notification from a Good Samaritan vessel of people reported to have been seen in survival suits on the rocks near the southern tip of Montague Island, Alaska.

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After the Good Samaritan vessel was unable to establish contact or get to the people, District issued an urgent marine information broadcast and granted the use of an Air Station Kodiak Jayhawk helicopter crew and a Coast Guard Station Valdez 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew to assist with the search.

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Once on scene, an aviation survival technician deployed to the beach from the helicopter and confirmed one person was in a survival suit on the island. The aircrew hoisted the man from Montague Island beach and transported him to Cordova for higher-level care.

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After speaking with the survivor, it was reported he was stranded for three days on the island after his vessel struck a rock and sank quickly near Montague Island.

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“This case is exactly why having all available survival equipment on hand is an absolute necessity in Alaska,” said Lt. j.g. Angella Thuotte, a Sector Anchorage command duty officer. “With the severe temperature drops, even in the summer, preparation increases the likelihood of survivability.”

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Weather on scene was 5-foot seas and calm winds.

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Coast Guard, Troopers rescue man from swamped canoe near Nome, Alaska

Photo by U.S. Coast Guard District 17

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak aircrews assisted the Alaska State Troopers with the rescue of a 22-year-old man reported missing from a swamped canoe Saturday afternoon approximately 100 miles south of Nome.

An Alaska State Troopers ground search team vectored the location of the kayaker to an Air Station Kodiak Jayhawk helicopter crew. The aircrew brought the man to Stebbins Clinic for further medical care, where he reported minor scrapes and bruises.

Watchstanders at the 17th Coast Guard District command center received a request for agency assistance from the Alaska State Troopers to locate a kayaker unable to make it to shore in vicinity of Stebbins on South Norton Sound. The 17th District directed the launch of a HC-130 and MH-60 Jayhawk aircrews from Air Station Kodiak to commence a search for the kayaker after 3 a.m. Saturday. An Alaska State Troopers 206 Cessna aircrew discovered a swamped green canoe near Kuiak Slough, but the kayaker was not seen. A C-130 aircrew from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center also assisted in the initial search to locate the man.

"Close coordination with our aircrews and partner agencies resulted in a safe and successful rescue of the man," said Petty Officer 1st Class Suzanne Bitinas, watchstander for the 17th District command center. "The man's decision to wear a personal flotation device increased his chances of survival and aided in the recovery efforts."

Weather on scene was reported as clear and calm.

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