
Air Station Savannah is responsible for over 450,000 square miles of water from the border between North and South Carolina south to Melbourne, Florida and out to sea approximately 100 nautical miles.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Barry Bena.
SAVANNAH, Ga. — A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin aircrew rescue two men from the water in Sapelo Sound after their vessel capsized, Friday.
A Coast Guard Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin Short-Range Recovery Helicopter (SRR) aircrew deployed the rescue swimmer and hoisted the two men from the water and transported them to Hunter Army Airfield with no medical concerns.
Both survivors were wearing life jackets.
Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders received a Mayday call on VHF marine radio Channel 16 from a man aboard a 38-foot sailing vessel at approximately 3:50 p.m., stating the vessel was going down fast and requested assistance. Watchstanders utilized a single line of bearing from a radio tower to vector the aircrew to the approximate location of the capsized vessel.
The MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter aircrew arrived on scene at about 4:12 p.m. and spotted red smoke flares.
The men were transported to Hunter Army Airfield with no medical concerns.
U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 1st Class David Micallef, Air Station Savannah.
«The survivors had red smoke flares, which is how we ultimately spotted the two men,» said Lt. Christina Batchelder, the co-pilot on the case. «When mariners are prepared by having a registered emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), flares and life jackets, the Coast Guard can respond quickly and the outcome in this case was two lives saved.»
The owner of the sailing vessel is working with commercial salvage to retrieve the vessel.
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