Sheriffs Office News

The Coast Guard rescued Jonathan Mason and his 5-year-old daughter from their pleasure craft near the north end of Lake Borgne, Louisiana, Tuesday. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans watchstanders received a report at 4:10 p.m. from the St. Bernard Sheriffs Office that a 17ft pleasure craft was taking on water with two people on board. A Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew was launched at 4:50 p.m. The MH-65 aircrew arrived on scene at 5:10 p.m. and transported the father and daughter to Air Station New Orleans where they were met by emergency medical services and then released to their family members. The father and daughter were reported to be in stable condition.

Many government agencies and public safety dive teams are adding underwater search equipment to help make their operations easier, safer, and faster. Maricopa Sheriffs Department in Arizona, Downe Township Fire Rescue in New Jersey, the Fairhaven Massachusetts Harbor Master and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are a few of the diverse group of agencies using metal detectors, video cameras and sonars in their underwater search operations. Deputy Jeff Hanson, leader of the Maricopa County Sheriffs Department dive team…

More public safety dive teams are adding sonar to assist in their underwater search and recovery operations. Side scan is the ideal tool for these operations because it produces detailed images of the underwater environment regardless of water clarity. In addition, the sonar is able to search large areas quickly, scanning several hundred feet of ocean, lake, or river bottom with each pass of the boat. The sonar does this by transmitting an acoustic beam from a towfish which sweeps the bottom and reflects off any objects lying there.

The tools law enforcement agencies use to investigate crimes and ensure public safety are critical to their success. Police departments and sheriffs offices around the country are adding underwater search equipment  to ensure their dive teams have the proper equipment to safely and effectively do their jobs. The two high tech tools  in greatest demand are the side scan sonar and ROV. Sonar is one of most effective tools for underwater  search and recovery (S&R) because it can scan large areas quickly and “see” what’s on the bottom regardless of water clarity.

American Marine Holdings, Inc (AMH) Government Services experienced a record year in sales during 2004, according to Mike Collins, President. AMH, the parent company of Donzi Marine and Pro-Line Boats, formed the Government Services Group in 2003. Mr. Collins stated, ”I am extremely proud of the team we have assembled. John Hotz has been instrumental in our success and was just appointed Vice President of the group”. The past year marked a flurry of activity for the Government Services division, along with many new additions to the team. Mike Page, former United States Navy Lieutenant with the Special Boat Teams, and formally with Boston Whaler and Night Vision Technologies joined the group and now heads up International and Military sales.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the largest independent institution of its kind in the world, recently began developing a new piston corer for retrieving sediments from the ocean floor. Once complete in 2006, the deep-water coring system will be the largest in the U.S. and among the biggest in the world. The corer’s enormous weight — 25,000 pounds — coupled with the environmental demands associated with working in water up to 20,000 ft. deep presented major technical challenges to the system required to lower the corer to the sea floor then recover it, along with its ancient sediment samples. Located in Cape Cod, Mass.…

The Coast Guard was notified by Jacksonville Sheriffs Office personnel that the 486-foot German container ship, the Ara J, was on fire at the Blount Island Terminal in the Port of Jacksonville. Coast Guard units from the Marine Safety Office Jacksonville and Station Mayport responded to the Blount Island Terminal to establish a safety zone around the Ara J. Coast Guard Marine Safety inspectors are also on scene to provide technical assistance for any shipboard fire-fighting on the Ara J. Jacksonville Fire Rescue is leading the firefighting efforts. The cause of the fire is not known at this time. The Coast Guard will investigate the cause of the incident.