Archive image: An HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter aircrew conducts hoist training at the 129th Rescue Wing, Moffett Air National Guard Base, California.
California Air National Guardsmen from the 129th Rescue Wing train regularly with the Coast Guard to assist with hoist operation proficiency.
U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Ray Aquino.
Story by Senior Airman Kevin Nious, 129th Rescue Wing
MOFFETT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Calif. — A 129th Rescue Wing HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter aircrew medevac a 79-year-old fisherman (USAF veteran) approximately 400 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego, California. November 8, 2024. The patient was on a chartered fishing trip Thursday morning when he began experiencing stroke like symptoms and the crew sent out a call for medical assistance.
The 129th Operations Group quickly responded, drafting a plan to launch a team of pararescuemen, two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and an HC-130J Combat King II to airlift the patient from the fishing vessel to a San Diego area hospital.
“We value individual life,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Bevan Hart who served as the search and rescue duty officer helping coordinate the mission. “We’ll go to significant effort to bring individuals back safely.”
Once the rescue units located the vessel, a team of pararescuemen hoisted down and conducted a neurological assessment of the patient. Fortunately, the injured fisherman’s nephew had emergency medical training and was able to keep his uncle in stable condition while help arrived.
The patient is on a chartered fishing trip when he began experiencing stroke like symptoms.
United States Air Force video.
129th Rescue Wing.
Air National Guard.
California Air National Guard.
“They were happy to see us,” said a pararescueman with the 131st Rescue Squadron. “That’s why we joined this career field, to save lives and help people on their worst days.”
While the patent’s nephew and other fishermen onboard were helpful during the rescue, the boat itself created a challenge. The vessel’s sizable mast and large fish tanks provided a tight area to conduct hoist operations.
“The greatest challenge was just the nature of the boat and how confined the space was,“ said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Schaffer, a special missions aviator who operated the hoist. “You have to be precise with that (hoist) device, loading the patient off the boat and your team.”
Despite the difficulty, Schaffer and the crew were able to utilize a 70-foot hoist to successfully airlift the fellow Air Force veteran and his nephew onto a helicopter. During the two hour flight back to the mainland, pararescuemen provided oxygen and continued to monitor the patient’s vital signs.
“It’s incredibly important that we have the capability to conduct civil search rescue,” said U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Taylor Franklin, an HC-130J co-pilot with the 130th Rescue Squadron. Franklin’s squad helped make the mission possible by providing helicopter air-to-air refueling support over the Pacific Ocean. “I’ve only been back from (pilot) training for six months and I’ve been on three search and rescue missions. It feels good to execute what we train for.”
The mission marks the wing’s 1,166th save and was conducted in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard 11th District (Pacific Southwest) and the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center.
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