Archive image: A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak aircrew completes maintenance on an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter in Kodiak, Alaska, on Sept. 7, 2022. Aircrews accrue countless hours conducting routine maintenance on Coast Guard aircraft to ensure full mission readiness and capabilities.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ian Gray.
KODIAK, Alaska — The Coast Guard rescue two fishermen after their vessel began taking on water in the vicinity of Cape Chiniak. Sunday, April 23, 2023.
A Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk Medium-Range Recovery Helicopter aircrew hoisted both survivors at 9:11 a.m. and transported them in stable condition to awaiting emergency medical services (EMS) at Air Station Kodiak. They were then transferred to Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center for further medical assessment.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Anchorage command center received notification at 8:00 a.m. Sunday that the 64-foot commercial fishing vessel Alitak was taking on water with two people aboard. Watchstanders instructed the vessel to activate their emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) and coordinated the launch of the MH-60 Jayhawk MRR helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak.
The rescue helicopter aircrew arrived on scene at 8:50 a.m. and located the distressed vessel 200 yards from shore. Both mariners were wearing immersion suits and went in the water before being recovered by a rescue swimmer.
«This case highlights the importance of safety equipment,» said Petty Officer 2nd Class Samantha Smith, a watchstander at the Sector Anchorage command center. «This could have had a much darker outcome if these two had not donned immersion suits and activated the vessel’s EPIRB.»
Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast notifying vessels in the area of the adrift vessel.
–USCG–
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