The aircrews were working around the clock to ensure the helicopters were ready to conduct search and rescue missions in the wake of Hurricane Florence.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ronald Hodges.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard and partner agencies rescue three boaters approximately 395 nautical miles southeast of Virginia Beach due Tropical Storm Alex, Monday night.
Coast Guard 5th District Command Center watchstanders received an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) alert from the sailing vessel Faule Haut. The location of the signal indicated the boaters were in the center of Tropical Storm Alex. There was no response to calls made to the boater’s cell phone numbers provided by Rescue Coordination Center Bremen.
An Air Station Elizabeth City HC-130J Hercules aircraft crew and MH-60T Jayhawk rescue helicopter crew were launched to assist. The HC-130 Hercules crew arrived first on scene and located the vessel, observed that their main mast had been broken with the crew on deck signaling with flashlights, and dropped a radio to establish communications.
An Air Station Clearwater HC-130J Hercules aircraft crew took over rescue support operations as the Elizabeth City Hercules aircrew returned to refuel. The Aegean Harmony, a motor vessel in the area, arrived on scene to provide additional assistance.
The Air Station currently operates both the HC-130J Long Range Surveillance Aircraft and the MH-60T Medium Range Recovery Helicopter.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Emily Thrower Velez.
The Coast Guard 5th District Command Center watchstanders coordinated refueling operations with a U.S. Navy vessel, and the MH-60 Jayhawk Medium-Range Recovery Helicopter (MRR) aircrew landed on the ship to refuel halfway offshore along the approximately 460-mile trek out to the sailing vessel. The helicopter crew then continued to the stranded boaters, safely hoisting all three and returning them safely ashore.
The entities involved in the sailors rescue in the Tropical Storm Alex were:
- Air Station Elizabeth City HC-130J Hercules aircraft
- Air Station Elizabeth City MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter
- Air Station Clearwater HC-130J Hercules aircraft
- Rescue Coordination Center Bremen
- Motor Vessel Aegean Harmony
- Coast Guard 5th District Command Center
- NOAA Weather Prediction Center
The weather on scene was 10 to 12-foot seas, with 40 mph winds. There were no reported injuries to the boaters.
«The Coast Guard was able to quickly locate these stranded mariners because they activated the on board EPIRB to signal that they were in distress,» said Lt. Andrew Grady, Fifth District Command Center Command Duty Officer. «As we enter the busy boating season, the Coast Guard would like to remind the boating public on the importance of having safety gear and emergency signaling devices on board in case of distress.»
-USCG-
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