Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center News

The Coast Guard has suspended the active search for the remaining unaccounted for crewmember of the Sincerity Ace, Wednesday.“Following the conclusion of morning and afternoon searches by our aircraft and commercial vessels we suspended the active search. This is always a difficult decision and takes many factors into account,” said Chief Petty Officer Dennis Vetrano, with Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu. "We extend our condolences to the families and loved ones of the crewmembers affected by this tragedy.”Good Samaritans from four merchant vessels were able to rescue 16 of the 21 Sincerity Ace crew who abandoned ship following a fire, Monday.

The Coast Guard and good Samaritans aboard several commercial vessels are responding to a reported vessel fire on the 650-foot Sincerity Ace 1,800 nautical miles (2071 statute miles) northwest of Oahu on the high seas, Monday.“The distance involved here requires any and all available support, we thank the crews of the commercial vessels for volunteering to assist and have Coast Guard air support en route,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Les Elliott of JRCC Honolulu.One commercial vessel…

An ailing crewmember aboard an oil tanker was medevaced by the U.S. Coast Guard roughly 12 miles south of Oahu, Hawaii, Wednesday. The crewman, a 45-year-old citizen of India, was said to be suffering from heart attack symptoms when personnel aboard the ship contacted watchstanders at the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center at 11 a.m. Saturday requesting assistance. The vessel was 1,438 miles from Oahu at the time headed toward the U.S. from Southeast Asia and elected to divert their course toward Honolulu.

Five men are safe, Saturday, after being after being stranded at sea in a 14-foot skiff since Wednesday. The men were rescued by the crew of the motor vessel, Shourong Harmony after an HC-130 Hercules air crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point spotted the 14-foot aluminum skiff while searching, 184 miles east northeast of Teraina Island, Kiribati. The men were reported to be in good condition once they were rescued. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center received notification at 4:37 p.m., Wednesday, from the Rescue Coordination Center in Nandi, near Fiji, reporting an overdue skiff with five men aboard who had not returned after departing on a fishing trip from Teraina Island, Kiribati, Monday.

The Coast Guard is searching for the master of a freight ship reported overboard approximately 60 miles east of Wake Island Sunday. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center were notified at approximately 6 p.m. Saturday, regarding a 49-year-old male Polish national who was reported overboard from the 622-foot freight ship Toscana. The master was last seen at approximately 8 p.m. Friday. Twelve hours passed before the ship realized the crewmember was missing. An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point was launched Saturday and is staging out of Wake Island to conduct the searches. The ship retraced its route to search for the missing crewmember, but has continued on to its next port of call in Yokohama, Japan due to fuel limitations.

The Coast Guard medevaced a 76-year-old man being treated for internal bleeding from a cruise ship 80 miles north of Oahu, Tuesday. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point safely hoisted the man from the cruise ship Carnival Miracle at 9 p.m. and transferred him to awaiting EMS at the Honolulu Airport. The patient was admitted to Queens Medical Center at 10:14 p.m. Personnel aboard the cruise ship contacted watchstanders at Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu at 4:21 p.m. Sunday regarding medical assistance for an ailing passenger. The ship had originally departed Vancouver, British Columbia, en route Nawiliwili, Kauai. The ship’s doctor was treating the man for internal bleeding.

The Coast Guard medically evacuated a woman after she was bitten by a shark near Palmyra Atoll, Sunday. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received a call from the Palmyra research facility director reporting that a 37-year-old female patient sustained a shark bite to her left hand. A Coast Guard flight surgeon consulted with the medical staff treating the victim and determined that a medevac was warranted due to the risk of infection and possible nerve and tendon damage. Commercial aircraft were not available until Tuesday. An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point launched to Palmyra Atoll to conduct the medevac.

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a male crewmember reported overboard from a container ship approximately 805 miles northeast of Oahu, Monday. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center were notified at approximately 8:23 a.m., regarding a 23-year-old male Japanese national who was reported overboard from the container ship Hercules Highway. The crewmember was last seen at approximately 7 p.m., Sunday. An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point launched to the scene and the ship has changed course and is searching for the missing crewmember. As part of the AMVER program, the motor vessel's St. Andrews, Anne Gret and the UACC Masafi are assisting in the search.

The Coast Guard suspended the search Wednesday for a 34-year old male Filipino crewmember reported overboard from the cruise ship Grand Princess approximately 1,133 miles northeast of Hilo. Two Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane crews from Air Station Barbers Point conducted searches of the area and dropped two Self-Locating Datum Marker Buoys. The SLDMB is used in search and rescue missions and is equipped with a GPS sensor. Upon deployment in the water, it transmits its location periodically to the Coast Guard to assist with developing search areas. As part of the AMVER program, the container ship Horizon Reliance along with the Grand Princess's sister ship Star Princess assisted in search efforts. More than 4,900 square miles were searched.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported that a search is underway for a crewmember reported overboard from a cruise ship approximately 1,133 miles northeast of Hilo, Tuesday. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center were notified at approximately 12 a.m., regarding a 34-year-old male Filipino national who was reported overboard from the Grand Princess. The crewmember was last seen at approximately 10:26 p.m., Monday. An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barber's Point is currently on scene and the cruise ship has changed course and is searching for the missing passenger. As part of the AMVER program, the container ship Horizon Reliance is assisting in the search along with the Grand Princess's sister ship, Star Princess.

A human silhouette is outlined by the light of a cell phone as theater patrons shift their attention toward the disturbance. The user’s eyes scan messaging with expression of concern, reading of a boating accident and a lone mariner’s single call for help. This story begins as a first responder moves towards the green exit sign, departing his liberty to join an assembling sortie. Standing the Hawaiian Islands watch requires a force of on call specialists, always ready for the surge capacity nature of the job.