Rescue Swimmer News

The 2023 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea has been presented to Caleb Halle, Aviation Survival Technician Second Class (AST2) of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). He was recognized for the outstanding courage, endurance and determination he showed during the rescue of the seven-strong crew of the tugboat Legacy in January 2023.AST2 Halle, based at the Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, received the award at the annual IMO Awards Ceremony in London. The ceremony…

A mariner has been rescued after reportedly falling from a tanker in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston command center received a distress call on VHF-FM channel 16 at 9:23 a.m. from personnel aboard the Liberian-registered vessel Ghibli, stating that a crew member had fallen overboard about 10 miles offshore Galveston, Texas and was not wearing a life jacket.Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast…

A Coast Guard helicopter aircrew medically evacuated a 57-year-old woman from the cruise ship Carnival Radiance approximately 35 miles southwest of Point Loma, Saturday. Carnival Radiance crewmembers contacted Coast Guard Sector San Diego Joint Harbor Operations Center watchstanders at approximately 4:30 p.m. requesting assistance for a passenger displaying stroke symptoms.Watchstanders launched a Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew with a San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Special Tactics and Rescue (STAR) Team paramedic aboard to assist.Once on the scene, the helicopter crew lowered the rescue swimmer, recovered the patient and transported her to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. The patient was reported to be in stable condition.

US Coast Guard helicopter aircrews medically evacuated four separate passengers off three different cruise ships, off the southern California coast, during a 24-hour period beginning Friday night.A 47-year-old woman, reportedly suffering from a progressive acute illness, was hoisted off the cruise ship Carnival Panorama, which was 100 miles south of San Diego. The cruise ship and an MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew from Coast Guard Sector San Diego rendezvoused 100 miles south of San Diego.

The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday it had medevaced a motor vessel crewmember Tuesday approximately 15 miles offshore Port Fourchon, Louisiana. "Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a call at 7:54 p.m. from the motor vessel Solitaire stating a crewmember was experiencing seizure-like symptoms," the Coast Guard said.According to Coast Guard, watchstanders coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew to assist. The helicopter crew arrived on scene…

A Marshall Islands registered chemical tanker came to the aid of a sailor in distress Saturday morning in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 57 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Rico.U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a VHF-Channel 16 communication from the sailing vessel Tao at 1:45 a.m. Saturday reporting the vessel lost steering and the sole boater on board, an 80-year-old man, had lost the ability to simultaneously access the vessel’s compass and emergency…

The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced and resuscitated a 60-year-old man from a tanker vessel 90 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, Wednesday.Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders received a call at approximately 9:36 a.m. from the captain of the tanker vessel Beatrice requesting a medevac for a crew member reportedly experiencing trouble breathing and abdominal pain. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac.Watchstanders directed the…

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued nine people Thursday from a burning jack-up drilling rig near Sabine Pass, Texas.Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a notification at 12:51 p.m. from the dredging vessel Ohio that the Pride Wisconsin offshore drilling rig was on fire in Sabine Pass with nine people aboard.Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a Coast Guard Station Sabine Pass 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew and an Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to assist.

An ailing mariner was medevaced from a bulk carrier near Cold Bay, Alaska, the U.S. Coast Guard said.At approximately 1 p.m. on Wednesday, the 17th District Command Center watchstanders received a call from the Alaska Maritime Agency in Dutch Harbor reporting the 42-year-old crew member was suffering from a possible stroke aboard the bulk carrier Restinga, 140 miles south of Dutch Harbor.At 2:01 p.m., an aircrew aboard a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft launched from Air Station Kodiak to respond to the incident. At 2:54 p.m., a Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew, forward-deployed to Cold Bay, also launched to respond, while the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel made its way closer to Cold Bay.Both Coast Guard assets arrived on scene at approximately 4:30 p.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a man from the CL Yingdu tanker, around 223 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina on Saturday. Watchstanders from the U.S. Coast Guard Fifth District command center received notification that a man aboard the CL Yingdu (Ex-Maersk Tianjin) was suffering from an eye injury and needed medical attention. The command center consulted with a U.S. Coast Guard flight surgeon who recommended medical evacuation. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and an HC-130 Hercules aircraft from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City were dispatched.

An ailing crewmember was medevaced from a 400-foot accommodation barge Monday, approximately 140 nautical miles south of Ponce, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Juan received a call from the DB Superior Performance barge reporting a medical emergency for a 46-year-old crewmember who was experiencing possible cardiac distress and required specialized medical care ashore. At the time of the emergency, the tugboat Crosby Leader was towing…

An injured crew member was medevaced from a U.K.-flagged containership more than 46 miles west of San Luis Obispo, Calif., on Friday.The captain of the 1,060-foot Hyundai Jupiter contacted 11th U.S. Coast Guard District command center watchstanders requesting assistance for the ailing mariner who reportedly suffered injuries from a 16-foot fall.Watchstanders launched a Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento C-27J Spartan aircraft and a Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco Forward Operating Base Mugu MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to assist.Once on the scene…

A U.S. Coast Guard said it medevaced a woman from a containership off the Washington coast Saturday after she was having difficulty breathing and experiencing temporary unconsciousness.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound command center received a call at 11:30 a.m. from the ship’s health insurance provider stating the 65-year-old woman required medical attention.At the time, the 710-foot container ship, Matson Kodiak, was transiting westbound in the Strait of Juan…

An ailing mariner was medevaced Thursday from a bulk carrier more than 250 miles west of San Diego, the U.S. Coast Guard said.On Wednesday night, watchstanders at 11th Coast Guard District command center received a request for assistance from the Panamanian-flagged bulker Jal Kamadhenu, which reported a 55-year-old crewman on board was displaying symptoms of a possible heart attack or stroke.A Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter launched on Thursday morning with…

An ailing crew member was medevaced from a U.S.-flagged tug Patriarch on Tuesday, approximately 207 miles of east Turks and Caicos, and 287 miles north of Puerto Rico, the U.S Coast Guard said.The Crowley-owned Patriarch was en route from Jacksonville, Fla. to San Juan, Puerto Rico when the vessel's master contacted Coast Guard Seventh District command to request a medevac for a 59-year-old man on board who was suffering from medical complications and needed higher level medical…

A crewmember suffering from abdominal pain was medevaced from the 653-feet bulk carrier ship Yasa Jupiter Saturday, approximately 60 nautical miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector San Juan received the medevac request from the Marshall Islands flagged ship on Friday night.The Yasa Jupiter was sailing from Morocco to Panama, approximately 360 nautical miles northeast of Puerto Rico, outside the range of responding rescue helicopters…

An injured crewmember aboard a Taiwanese flagged containership was medevaced approximately six miles from the San Francisco Bay, Friday evening, the U.S. Coast Guard said.San Francisco Vessel Traffic Service personnel contacted Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders, reporting a crewmember of the 1,092-foot containership Yang Ming Unanimity had fallen and struck his head on the ship’s radar mast creating a laceration on his forehead as the ship was making its way toward…

The U.S. Coast Guard medically evacuated the Captain of the 734-foot Singapore-flagged containership M/V Maersk Batam, approximately 100 nautical miles south of Puerto Rico, Monday night.The containership captain, a U.K. citizen, was experiencing life threatening symptoms of a possible stroke during the ship’s transit from St. Marta, Colombia to their next scheduled port call in Southhampton, England.Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders received the medevac request at 9:55 a.m. Monday from the M/V Maersk Batam, as the ship was transiting 175 nautical miles southwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders launched a Coast Guard MH-65D helicopter crew from Air Station Borinquen to conduct the medevac…

Petty Officer Michael Kelly, a rescue swimmer with the United States Coast Guard, will receive the 2019 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, for his courage, perseverance and skill in rescuing four survivors from a life raft, in extremely high winds and heavy seas.A panel of judges decided that the rescue merited the highest award. The decision was endorsed by the IMO Council at its 122nd session in London (15-19 July).Petty Officer Michael W. Kelly, Aviation Survival Technician Second Class, Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, United States Coast Guard, was nominated by the United States of America for his part in the rescue operation which took place on 14 November 2018.On that stormy day…

Maritime Reporter & Engineering News was offered the opportunity to interview Admiral Karl Schultz, the 26th Commandant in the history of the United States Coast Guard, in his office in Washington, DC. Just five months into his tenure, his plate is predictably full with a number of challenges, including: Attracting and retaining future U.S. Coast Guard personnel; addressing a number of assymetric threats, including cyber attacks; and ensuring captial and operating budgets are adequate to safely and efficiently carry out a global mission envelope, to name but a few.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew medevaced an injured Chinese crewmember from a bulk carrier Tuesday night in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 175 nautical miles northeast of Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders in San Juan received the medevac request at 5 p.m., Monday from the Panamanian-flagged Bunun Hero for a crewmember who sustained multiple broken bones and a head injury after falling from a crane onboard the ship.The 587-foot Bunun Hero was en route to Europe and approximately 525 nautical miles northeast of Puerto Rico…

Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crews rescued two divers and a minor during two unrelated cases Thursday in Fajardo and Vieques, Puerto Rico. The first rescue came when Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a 911 call Thursday afternoon reporting four children and two adults had been pulled away from shore by strong currents at “Playa Escondida” in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The crew of a Coast Guard helicopter diverted to the scene, located the people in distress and deployed their rescue swimmer to hoist one of the children from the water. The Coast Guard aircrew safely transferred the minor to shore, and confirmed that the other five people were able to swim safely to shore.

A U.S. Coast Guard aircrew rescued four people from a sinking fishing boat Wednesday, about 18 miles south of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. The captain of the vessel Sea Star radioed watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England at about 6:20 p.m., reporting their vessel was taking on water, listing heavily, and they were donning their immersion suits. Diverting from a training flight, aircrews from an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and HC-144 Ocean Sentry arrived on scene.