Two men rescued after their vessel catches fire

Two men were safely rescued after their vessel caught fire off the coast of Selsey Bill on 4 June 2019.

HM Coastguard launched the search and rescue operation just after 1 pm on 4 June 2019 after they received multiple 999 calls reporting the 44 ft motor vessel on fire.

Selsey Bill Lifeboat and the Lee-on-Solent coastguard helicopter were sent to the scene.

A mayday relay broadcast was also issued by the coastguard and several nearby vessels responded and made their way to the stricken vessel to assist.

The two people on board, who were wearing life jackets, had abandoned their ship to a small dinghy which was quickly spotted by the RNLI lifeboat.

The two casualties were picked up by the lifeboat and were assessed by paramedics. One person was reported to be suffering from burns and the other person had minor injuries. They were both airlifted to Southampton general hospital for treatment.

The vessel was later reported to have sunk.

The MCA’s counter pollution and enforcement teams were notified, along with the marine accident investigation branch.

Coast Guard hoists 5 distressed mariners near Tununak, Alaska

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, hoists one of five distressed mariners off the coast of Tununak, Alaska, Sept. 29, 2018. All five people that were eventually hoisted and brought to safety were in a 22-foot boat that lost power and began taking on water. U.S. Coast Guard video by Air Station Kodiak

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard rescued five people stranded on a boat without power off the Alaskan coast near Tununak, Saturday.

A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew hoisted all five people and brought them to Tununak.

Watchstanders in the 17th District command center in Juneau received notification from Alaska State Troopers Friday at about 10:30 p.m. that the 22-foot boat was adrift without power, taking on water and dragging anchor approximately 4 miles off Tununak. The people on the skiff had a VHF radio that was running out of batteries.

The Coast Guard issued an urgent marine information broadcast to alert mariners of the need for help, and diverted the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro. The Canadian research vessel Frosti answered the UMIB and headed toward the disabled vessel to assist.

An Air Station Kodiak C-130 Hercules aircrew launched and made VHF radio contact with family members of the distressed party near Tununak. The family members guided the pilots to the location of the distressed vessel and got them in radio range of the people aboard.

The Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak helicopter crew launched from Kodiak and arrived on scene at about 7:45 a.m. Saturday before hoisting all five people to the helicopter.

“Because the family of these folks had VHF radios, and because they had a radio aboard as well, we were better able to locate them and understand their situation,” said Lt. Casey Corpe, C-130 Hercules co-pilot for the case. “Though they did not have a life jacket for every person on the boat, I’m sure that next time they go out they will. Alaskan water temperatures are unforgiving.

If something goes wrong on the water, a life jacket often means the difference between life and death.”

Conditions when the Coast Guard arrived on scene were 40 mph winds, 6-foot seas, 10-mile visibility, and 49 degree air and water temperatures.

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Coast Guard, others continue search for potential crash survivors near Lituya Bay, Alaska

MH-60 Jayhawk ©USCG (archive)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard and others are continuing the search Saturday for three potential survivors of a helicopter crash that occurred Friday near Lituya Bay.

The helicopter crashed in the water approximately 100 yards from the shoreline of a beach about 3 miles east of Lituya Bay.The Coast Guard located sections of the crashed helicopter’s fuselage, engine, rotor head, and front and rear seats washed up on the beach today but not any sign of the passengers.

Two handlers with canines from the Southeast Alaska Dogs for Ground Search were brought in via Coast Guard helicopter but were not able to locate any sign of the helicopter’s passengers.

A C-130 aircraft crew with the 211th Rescue Squadron for Alaska Air National Guard’s 176th Wing out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage is on scene searching.

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Bailey Barco out of Ketchikan is searching the water in the vicinity of the crash, and will continue searching overnight.

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew out of Air Station Sitka is scheduled to begin searching at first light Sunday.

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Coast Guard rescues helicopter crash survivor, searches for others near Lituya Bay, Alaska

Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Jon-Paul Rios (archive)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard rescued a survivor of a helicopter crash Friday near Lituya Bay, Alaska, and is searching for three potential others Saturday.

The 14-year-old survivor was flown to Sitka by a Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and placed in the care of awaiting EMS. He displayed signs of mild hypothermia but was reported to be in good condition.

An additional Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew is searching Saturday along with a Civil Air Patrol aircraft crew out of Juneau, for three others who were aboard the helicopter when it went down.

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Bailey Barco out of Ketchikan is searching the water in the vicinity of the crash, and their small boat crew is searching the shoreline.

Watchstanders in the Coast Guard 17th District command center in Juneau initially received an overdue aircraft alert at about 6:30 p.m. Friday from the Juneau Flight Service Station. The alert stated a private helicopter with four people aboard expected to arrive in Yakutat Friday had not arrived.

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched from Air Station Sitka at 8:15 p.m. The crew learned the last known position of the aircraft due to the signal of a GPS locator. The Coast Guard helicopter crew landed on the beach about 3 miles east of Lituya Bay, where the crew’s rescue swimmer located the boy.

“We did not locate any other survivors tonight but the Coast Guard and others will conduct a thorough search Saturday,” said Lt. Kellen Browne, helicopter co-pilot for Friday's rescue.

Two adults and two adolescents were aboard the crashed helicopter that was reported to be brand new out of the factory. The pilot is reported to have 40 years flying experience including Alaska flight time in both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.

The new helicopter was on a trip that originated in Grand Prairie, Texas, and was bound for Wasilla.

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Coast Guard, good Samaritan assists 62-year-old man 9 miles east of Key Largo

Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Clarke (archive)

MIAMI — The Coast Guard assisted a good Samaritan with a 62-year-old man suffering from possible chest pains Sunday approximately 9 miles east of Key Largo.

Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders received notification via VHF-FM radio channel 16 at 10:24 a.m., from the 25-foot pleasure craft, Sea Yaa stating the man was suffering from possible chest pains and in need of assistance.

A nearby good Samaritan aboard the commercial diving vessel, Tropical Odyssey arrived on scene and embarked the patient while a rescue swimmer from a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter from Air Station Miami was lowered on the Tropical Oddessy to treat the man.

A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Islamorada also arrived on scene and escorted the Odyssey with rescue swimmer and patient aboard to Homeowners Park where the man was transferred to awaiting medical personnel in stable condition.

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Coast Guard rescues 3 boaters near Big Constance Lake

Photo: Petty Officer 3rd Class Lora Ratliff

An aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans rescued three overdue boaters near Big Constance Lake, Louisiana, May 25, 2018. The overdue boaters were located on shore near Big Constance Lake after using an orange shirt tied to a stick to flag down the helicopter crew. The boaters reported that their vessel had sunk 18 hours earlier. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard rescued three overdue boaters near Big Constance Lake, Louisiana, Friday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report of three overdue boaters on a 20-foot commercial shrimping vessel from Rollover Landing, Louisiana. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries confirmed the truck and trailer associated with the overdue vessel was still at the landing.

Watchstanders directed the launch of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans.

The overdue boaters were located on shore near Big Constance Lake after using an orange shirt tied to a stick to flag down the helicopter crew. The boaters reported that their vessel had sunk 18 hours earlier.

The aircrew returned the boaters to their truck in good condition.

The Coast Guard reminds boaters of the importance of float plans and ensuring that someone staying on land knows your plan. For more details on float plans, including what should be included, visit this website: http://floatplancentral.cgaux.org/classroom/filing.htm

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Coast Guard rescues four boaters near Suisun Slough

Video and photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Cory Mendenhall

A Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco helicopter crew transfers two boaters to Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, California, May 12, 2018, after being hoisted from their vessel which ran aground near Suisun Slough. The boat ran aground with four people aboard. The other two boaters were hoisted by the helicopter crew and taken to Napa County Airport.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard rescued four boaters after their 17-foot fishing vessel ran aground near Suisun Slough, Saturday morning.

The stranded boaters contacted Coast Guard Station Vallejo watchstanders via cell phone at approximately 4 a.m., reporting they had run aground with one passenger who was reportedly diabetic. 

A Station Vallejo boat crew arrived on scene and determined a tow could not be completed because the vessel was hard aground. A Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew was launched to the scene to complete the rescue.

At approximately 7 a.m., the Dolphin helicopter crew arrived on scene and hoisted two of the boaters, including the diabetic boater, and took them to Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa. The helicopter then returned to the aground vessel, hoisted the two remaining boaters and took them to Napa County Airport. 

The owner plans to refloat the vessel at high tide. There were no reported injuries.

"Never underestimate the hazards of operating a boat in the delta," said Lt. Cmdr. Joshua Murphy, the Air Station San Francisco aircraft commander for this case. "These individuals were lucky they had cell phone coverage in such a remote location. We're all very grateful that we could help."

The Coast Guard urges boaters to always have a marine VHF radio aboard to communicate with responders in an emergency. Boaters can use VHF channel 16 to reach Coast Guard watchstanders in the event of a distress situation. 

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