U.S. COAST GUARD

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Coast Guard sets maritime security zones for passenger vessels

Coast Guard medevacs two from islands

posted 12/22/04
A U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter filled in for Airlift Northwest and medevaced two men - one from Orcas Island and one from Friday Harbor last week. Severe weather conditions in Seattle prevented Airlift Northwest from launching.

A 77-year-old man and an emergency medical technician from a Bellingham clinic were flown from Orcas Island, to a waiting ambulance at Bellingham Airport on Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004.

Air Station Port Angeles also performed a medevac on Friday for a 58-year-old man in Friday Harbor. The man was flown to Air Station Port Angeles where he was transferred to Port Angeles Fire Department for transport to Olympic Memorial Hospital.

Coast Guard terminates voyage for safety violations

posted 12/22/04
The Coast Guard ended the voyage of a 26-foot fishing vessel due to significant safety violations near San Juan Island Monday evening (Dec. 20, 2004).

A boarding team from the Coast Guard Cutter Cuttyhunk boarded the fishing vessel Jessica C at 1:25 p.m., and found three safety violations. The vessel did not have visual distress signals, a fire extinguisher and the engine compartment blower was inoperable.

The Cuttyhunk’s small boat crew escorted the vessel to Friday Harbor, Wash., where the master of the vessel purchased suitable distress signals and a fire extinguisher.

The vessel was then allowed to return to its homeport of Anacortes.

Mariners are encouraged to ensure they have necessary and required safety equipment before getting underway. Courtesy Commercial fishing vessel inspections are available from your nearest Coast Guard Marine Safety Office.

Testing flare an expensive lesson

posted 12/09/04
The Coast Guard issued a safety citation to the master of a sailing vessel who illegally fired a distress flare near Sucia Island, Dec. 7, 2004 Tuesday to make sure that it worked in the event of an emergency. It worked.

Now the master may have to pay a maximum penalty of $1000.00 and pay back the cost associated with the distress call including manpower, vessel, and aircraft operation costs.

Coast Guard Station Bellingham received a call from a man who said he saw a red flare in Echo Bay near Sucia Island. Station Seattle diverted a 47-foot motor lifeboat and Coast Guard Group/Air Station Port Angeles, Wash., prepared to launch an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter. A 33-foot Immigration and Customs Enforcement patrol boat was also diverted to search for any vessels in distress.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement patrol boat located the sailing vessel in no distress thirty-minutes after the flare was reported.

Group/Air Station Port Angeles cancelled the launch of the helicopter and the 47-foot motor lifeboat continued to Echo Bay to conduct a safety inspection of the vessel. The crew onboard the sailing vessel was told the hazards of issuing a false distress.

Firing flares in non-emergency situations puts the public in danger by depleting valuable search and rescue resources needed for real distress cases. Although Coast Guard crews are trained to manage risk, false alarm cases place Coast Guard air and boat crews needlessly in harm’s way.

Boaters with questionable or expired flares should not fire them, but dispose of them appropriately. If you have expired flares and would like to use them for training you can contact your local Coast Guard Station to find out more information. The best way to ensure that your flares will work when you have an emergency is to store them properly and make sure they are not beyond their expiration date.

Search for father and two sons ends well

posted 09/06/04
A father and his two sons who were reported overdue from a boating trip near San Juan Island, Wash., last night have been found unharmed. John Droubay of Lopez Island, Wash., and his two sons, ages 10 and 12 were reported missing to the Coast Guard at 10:10 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 5 by Droubay’s girlfriend when they did not return as scheduled. Droubay and his sons had spent the night in Friday Harbor, Wash., and returned to Lopez Island Monday morning.

The Coast Guard launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Bellingham, Sunday night which conducted a search of the waters between Lopez Island and San Juan Island. Monday morning an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Group/Air Station Port Angeles, Wash., was launched for a first light search of the area. A second aerial search was underway when the boaters returned home.

The Coast Guard would like to remind boaters to file a float plan and leave a copy with a friend, relative or local marina before heading out on the water. If a vessel has an emergency or is overdue, pertinent information will be available to provide local marine police or the Coast Guard.

A word of caution—in case you're delayed, and it's not an emergency, inform those with your float plan, and be sure to notify them when you return so the float plan can be "closed out" and an unnecessary and costly search avoided.

Two men rescued from burning boat

Photo contributed by Richard J. Rodriguez

After the fire was extinguished, Dessert First was towed to Anacortes by Captain Richard J. Rodriguez for Vessel Assist San Juans.

posted 08/04/04
The Coast Guard rescued two men from a burning 43-foot pleasure boat near Waldron Island, Tuesday, August 3, 2004. Coast Guard Group Seattle received a mayday call at 11:18 a.m., from the pleasure boat Dessert First reporting a fire in the engine room.

A 27-foot utility boat from Coast Guard Station Bellingham was launched to assist the vessel and removed two men from the burning vessel. The Coast Guard Cutter Cuttyhunk, based in Port Angeles, heard the mayday call and diverted to assist. They arrived and extinguished the fire with water and foam. Friday Harbor Fire Department's fire boat Confidence responded and sprayed foam on the inside of the boat at the Coast Guard's request.

Neither of the men were injured in the fire. The vessel is currently being towed by a salvage boat to Anacortes. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and is currently under investigation.

Distress call near Friday Harbor
part of the Coast Guard's busy Tuesday

posted 07/17/03
PRESS RELEASE: A distress call from a 23-foot pleasure craft taking on water near Friday Harbor was just one of several calls U.S. Coast Guard handled on Tuesday, July 15, 2003.

The first case began when the Coast Guard Cutter Active, from Port Angeles reported a flare sighting near Cape Elizabeth, north of Grays Harbor around midnight. An HH-60 helicopter from Air Station Astoria joined the cutter in the search. The search lasted for more than 10 hours and covered areas from Grays Harbor to Quillayute River. The case was determined to be a non-emergency flare launch. This type of case can be frustrating for the Coast Guard in that firing a red marine flare in a non-emergency situation is against Federal Law and reduces the service's ability to respond to other emergencies.

The second response was at 2:15 p.m., Coast Guard Station Bellingham responded to a 23-foot pleasure craft taking on water with four people onboard near Friday Harbor. The Coast Guard issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB). A good samaritan vessel responded to the UMIB and transferred the two children to their boat while a commercial towboat de-watered the foundering boat. Once the boat was de-watered, the children were tranferred back onto the newly dewatered vessel and towed safely back to shore. The Coast Guard monitored the situation through the safe return to port.

The third response was at 3:16 p.m., Coast Guard Group Portland received two hoax "mayday" calls from a young female caller. Again, for the second time in a 24-hour period, the Coast Guard issued a UMIB for vessel traffic operating on the Snake and Columbia Rivers. There were no reported signs of distress reported back to the Coast Guard.

The fourth response was at 3:19 p.m., Coast Guard Group Port Angeles received a report of a 19–foot pleasure craft overdue with one adult and three children onboard. The Coast Guard sent out an UMIB. The boater had no VHF radio nor other means of communication. At 7:30 p.m., a HH-65A helicopter from Air Station Port Angeles searched the area but turned back when a good samaritan located the needy vessel near Point Partridge in Puget Sound and safely towed it to Port Angeles. Again, the Coast Guard monitored the situation through to completion.

The fifth response was at 5:23 p.m., Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay, Ore., received a report of three people in the water near South Beach State Park. They had been swept out to sea in a riptide. Two surfers helped the people stay afloat until a Coast Guard 47-foot motor lifeboat retrieved them and transported them safely to local EMS.

The sixth response was at 5:56 p.m., Coast Guard Station Coos Bay, Ore., received a call of three people in the water near the Coos Bay Bar. Again, a Coast Guard 47-foot motor lifeboat was launched along with a beach rescue team and rescued all three people. Again, all three were released to local EMS.

The seventh response was at 7 p.m., just off shore from the oil refinery at Puget Sound's March Point. The Coast Guard was contacted and a small boat from Station Bellingham, Wash., encountered a pleasure craft anchored inside an off-limits refinery security zone. A Coast Guard team boarded the vessel and requested the master to move the vessel due to the nature of the security zone. The owner complied without incident.

The eighth response was at 8 p.m., Air Station Astoria, Ore., medevaced a 40 year-old man suffering from a possible heart attack while on the F/V American Dynasty. The patient was taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, Ore.

The Coast Guard recommends all boaters carry and use a VHF-FM marine radio while underway. Cellphones, among other issues, have a limited range and only support point-to-point capabilities, thereby limiting the network effect achieved by VHF-FM in a distress situation. Please file a float plan (details of the voyage, return times, names of passengers among other key details) with a friend or neighbor before shoving off. Always wear your life jacket, and if your boat capsizes, stay near or on the boat as it offers the best potential to be seen by rescuers.

False alarm cases deplete Coast Guard resources and funds. For instance, a HH-65A helicopter has an operating cost more than $5,173 an hour. Additionally, by launching valuable Coast Guard assests in "false" distress cases, the potential to assist real distress cases is greatly reduced, both in a geographical sense as well as causing Coast Guard crew fatigue, thus, putting them needlessly in harm’s way.

Firing a red marine flare in a non-emergency is the same as making a false distress call over the radio. This type of acticity could endanger other boater, is negligent and is against the law. Again, the Coast Guard monitors calls for help on channel 16, 24-hours a day. Hoax calls hurt everyone. Penalties for hoax calls range up to a $5,000 civil fine, $250,000 criminal fine, and six years in prison with the potential of having to pay reimbursement for search costs.

Coast Guard locates capsized vessel with EPIRB

posted 06/27/03
The U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard responded to a mayday call at 7:40 p.m. June 25, 2003 that was sent out by a 406-megahertz EPIRB or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. The signal was positioned three Nautical Miles S.W. of Race Rocks in Canadian waters. The EPIRB allowed rescue personnel to quickly locate the capsized trimeran, the Red Shift and her crew of four. Race Rocks is located just over one nautical mile from Rocky Point, the southern most point on Vancouver Island.

A Coast Guard HH-65A Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Port Angeles and the Coast Guard Cutter Osprey were dispatched to respond to the mayday signal of the EPIRB. The Coast Guard helicopter arrived on scene to find three of the crew sitting on the capsized vessel with a fourth trapped inside. The rescue swimmer was lowered from the helicopter into the water. He then assisted the trapped man from the cabin.

After a quick evaluation of the four-crew members, it was decided that a female named Janine Bell, 43, from Nananio, B.C. who was suffering from mild hypothermia needed the most medical attention and was hoisted into the helicopter and flown back to Port Angeles where she was treated by local EMS. The Coast Guard Cutter Osprey and Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Bartlett arrived on scene moments later and the three remaining crewmembers were taken aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Bartlett.

The 406-megahertz EPIRB helped take the search out of "Search and Rescue". The EPIRB alerted the Coast Guard to a vessel that was in distress when there was no time to call for help on the radio. The EPIRB’s satellite positioning system allowed the Coast Guard to locate the Red Shift and immediately dispatch rescue crews allowing a quick and dynamic rescue to take place.

The 406 MHz EPIRB was designed to operate with satellites. The signal frequency has been designated internationally for use only for distress. The signal allows a satellite local user terminal to accurately locate the EPIRB and identify the vessel anywhere in the world. EPIRBs also include a 121.5 MHz homing signal, allowing aircraft and rescue craft to quickly find the vessel in distress. These are the only type of EPIRBs that must be certified by Coast Guard approved independent laboratories before they can be sold in the United States.

A new type of 406 MHz EPIRB, having an integral GPS navigation receiver, became available in 1998. This EPIRB will send accurate location as well as identification information to rescue authorities immediately upon activation through both geostationary (GEOSAR) and polar orbiting satellites. These types of EPIRB are the best you can buy. The Coast Guard recommends carrying a 406 MHz EPIRB, no matter what size vessel you operate, and preferably one with an integral GPS navigation receiver.

Why your VHF radio
is Sooooo Important!

And why knowing how to use it,
is more important!

By Wayne Spivak
National Press Corps National Marketing & Public Affairs Department United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

posted 04/28/03
On 11 May 1993, two vessels that were in the same general area (the waters off Fan Island, Porcher Peninsula, British Columbia.) transmitted MAYDAY messages at about the same time. The message, as received, read: "MAYDAY MAYDAY ... going down." The other message read: "MAYDAY MAYDAY we're going down."

Due to the proximity of the vessels, and the almost identical messages issued, both vessels were lost. The messages were transmitted on their VHF radios. However, the procedures used during the transmission of the message and the fact that they occurred almost simultaneously were the main reasons cited why the Canadian Coast Guard response was prematurely terminated.

This is an example, which highlights what can happen, when not properly using your safety equipment. This error caused one of the crew to die of, and the other crew members to suffer hypothermia. All because they didn't follow tried and tested emergency radio procedures.

All recreational boats should carry a VHF marine radio on board. While currently not a federal regulation, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, during their Vessel Safety Check (VSC) recommends this piece of safety equipment. More importantly, all members of the crew need to know how to use this important piece of safety equipment!

VHF Radio vs. Cell phone vs. Citizen's Band (CB) Radio

posted 04/28/03
A marine radio (VHF) can be bought as a handheld radio or a base unit. Fixed mount (base) units can broadcast at a maximum of 25 watts, with the ability of also being able to reduce power to 1 watt. Handhelds normally don't broadcast over 5 watts. Base units, given the correct tuning, height of antenna and atmospheric conditions, can broadcast up to 20 nautical miles, but normally in the 5-10 mile category.

Handheld radios have the advantage of being able to be carried while you move around your vessel or while on a dinghy. The disadvantage of this type of radio is the limited power (wattage per channel) that they are able to produce. The smaller the wattage, the weaker the signal becomes as it radiates from the antenna. Thus, the strength, and limited antenna size, makes long distance communication nearly impossible.

Coast Guard rescues boaters

posted 04/02/03
A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter rescued two men Monday, March 31, 2003 after their 18-foot pleasure craft ran aground near S.W. Guemes Channel.

James Howland of Goldbar, Wash. and Robert McMahan of Bothell, Wash. called the Coast Guard by cell phone and requested assistance around 6 p.m.

The Coast Guard launched a helicopter from Air Station Port Angeles and 27-foot utility boat from Station Bellingham to search for the men.

The helicopter located Howland and McMahan, lowered the rescue swimmer who assisted in the helicopter hoist. The Coast Guard helicopter transported the two men to Anacortes Airport where they were met by the Anacortes Fire Department.

The Coast Guard encourages mariners to use a VHF radio on channel 16, instead of a cell phone to call for help. VHF radio allows the Coast Guard to establish a general location of the vessel in distress. Using VHF radio also alerts other vessels in the area that may be able to render assistance.

Friday Harbor man’s boat sinks off Lopez Island

posted 08/26/02
A Friday Harbor man’s 37-foot boat sank after hitting rocks on the southern end of Lopez Island about midnight Saturday, Aug. 24. John Lyons, 32, climbed off his boat and onto the rocky shoreline. After a search by San Juan County sheriff’s deputies, the U.S. Coast Guard and Lopez Fire Department, firefighters helped Lyons off the beach.

The boat, a 1980 Transpac Trawler, sank and is likely a total loss, according to a press release by San Juan County Sheriff Bill Cumming.

Lyons’ boat reportedly left MacKaye Harbor and was en route to Friday Harbor late Saturday evening. Lyons radioed the Coast Guard, saying he was lost and had grounded in Wasp Passage between Shaw and Crane islands, 11 miles from his location. Sheriff’s deputies spoke with Lyons’ son, Jason Lyon, 32, of Kenmore -- who exited the boat earlier by dinghy -- and learned the boat’s actual location.

A Coast Guard helicopter launched from Port Angeles redirected its search and discovered debris in the Iceberg Point area, a short distance from MacKaye Harbor. The helicopter crew also spotted John Lyons on the beach. Firefighters assisted Lyons off the beach about 3:30 a.m. and transported him to the Lopez Village, where he was checked for minor injuries medical workers.

Coast Guard rescues man on Stuart Island

posted 03/29/02
A Coast Guard helicopter from Port Angeles airlifted an ill Canadian national off Stuart Island and delivered him to a hospital in Victoria, B.C. at 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 29, 2002. Both the U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard received VHF radio notification of George Holden, 65, who was reportedly having a cardiac arrest aboard a boat moored in Reid Pier. Since an air response was faster, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew from Port Angeles immediately launched to recover the Holden and delivered him to Royal Jubilee Hospital Hospital in Victoria, B.C.

According to Canadian Coast Guard officer Wayne Bamford, Holden was first thought to be suffering from a heart attack, but further evaluation by hospital personnel revealed he experienced severe abdominal pain which caused him to lose consciousness.

In all, U.S. and Canadian agencies who responded were: San Juan EMT, Canadian Coast Guard/Victoria Rescue, U.S. Coast Guard Station Bellingham and Air Station Port Angeles.

Kayak-less paddler rescued from submerging rock

posted 02/12/02
A recreational boater and the U.S. Coast Guard rescued a kayaker who became stranded on an islet in Mosquito pass about 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 11.

The kayaker, of Jerome City, Idaho, landed his kayak on tiny island and exited it to take a photo, according to a Coast Guard spokeswoman. His boat drifted away to a nearby large island. A passing boater saw the stranded kayaker but his vessel's hull was too deep to safely land on the rock, which the tide was starting to cover. The boater radioed the Coast Guard, which dispatched a 41-foot cutter from Bellingham. The cutter's crew reunited the paddler with his wayward kayak.

Hurricane buoys Coast Guard

posted 02/05/02
The USS Hurricane is working with the Coast Guard to make the northwest border of the U.S. less porous according to San Juan County Sheriff Bill Cumming. His office has received several calls from residents wondering about the presence of the 170-foot ship in the waters around the San Juans. The Coast Guard is using the ship as a platform while patrolling the area. More information about the Cyclone class ship is available on the Navy's Web site.

Navy demos search and rescue

Photos courtesy of San Juan County Sheriff's Office

posted 11/28/01
The Whidbey Naval Air Station Search and Rescue unit demonstrated their search and rescue operations at a joint training session at Jacksons Beach Nov. 27, 2001. Fire chiefs from Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Islands participated. Aid unit personnel, the sheriff's dive team and the search and rescue unit were also involved.

Two kayakers rescued

08/18/01
Two kayakers were rescued after overturning near Shark's Reef on southwest side of Lopez Island yesterday afternoon. The man and the boy spent more than half an hour in the water. Construction workers heard the two screaming for help and notified the sheriff's office shortly before noon.

The Coast Guard launched a vessel with a 45 minute ETA. A Coast Guard helicopter was also called out. The sheriff headed out in the county's boat.

A private boater reached one kayaker and took him ashore at King's Point on Lopez. The other kayaker was rescued by people in a rowboat.

More details will be available Monday. This story will be updated then.

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