Auxiliary vessel Lydia

02 September 2006. "You guys definitely saved a life… that man would have been gone for good in a few more moments," said CWO2 Gene Gibson USCG, Commanding Officer, Station Gloucester. He said this to Auxiliary vessel "Lydia's" crew at the post-search and rescue debriefing.

"Please express my personal thanks to the Coast Guard Auxiliary crew that was involved in the life saving rescue near Marblehead, on September 2, 2006. I had the opportunity to witness their very quick response to my emergency broadcast, as well as their challenging recovery of the survivor of the accident. Captain Keith Weston, Brian Stinson and Skip Clements, plus their vessel "Lydia" were simply terrific! My wife, Christine, and I will never forget what they accomplished under very difficult circumstances," said Captain Wallie Everest, sailing/vessel "Atlantic Wavedancer" in a post interview e-mail.

Arriving on scene first, the Auxiliary crew displayed courage, determination and skill in rescuing a lobsterman whose boat grounded in heavy seas near Marblehead, MA. The Auxiliary crew participated in the action with Station Gloucester’s Officer on Deck, Auxiliarist Julia Tiernan, the Station’s 47 footer, "Good Samaritan" Wallie Everest, SeaTow, and the Marblehead Harbormaster and Fire Departments. It should be noted that Auxiliarist Tiernan volunteered for extra duty over the holiday weekend.

"We worked together in a big team" to save the life of 28-year-old Gregory Maynard of Danvers, MA, said BMC Robert Breaker USCG Reserve. Although his fellow crewman, 37-year-old Michael Parshley of Middleton, MA, perished in the mishap, all participants were elated that their combined efforts preserved Mr. Maynard's life.

What started as a routine training mission unfolded into a search and rescue effort. High winds and sea conditions were forecasted so Coxswain Keith Weston amended his training plan to stay in the more protected waters of Salem and Marblehead Harbors. Assessing the weather conditions then as moderate enough to allow boaters to venture out, but challenging enough to cause problems for the unwary, Coxswain Weston polled his crew asking if they were willing to spend the rest of the day on safety patrol.

They readily agreed, believing that the difficult weather conditions would make it more likely that a boater might make a mistake and need help. As Division Captain Bruce Clarkson said later "I sometimes hear people wonder about the value of Auxiliary safety patrols, but because Keith, Brian and Skip were conducting a safety patrol onboard (vessel) 'Lydia', and they had the proper training, a life was saved."

After a circuit of Marblehead Harbor an urgent radio message crackled across their radio from skipper Wallie Everest, onboard his Cal 44 sloop "Atlantic Wavedancer." A small powerboat had grounded on rocks off several islands, and Mr. Everest heard a man in the water shouting for help. He soon observed: a small powerboat floating near the "Brimbles" day marker with no apparent crew. Using binoculars, his wife Christine confirmed that no one was onboard.

They heard a cry for help and saw a man's arm waving from the whitecaps, so they immediately began to furl their headsail, get under power and prepare their "Life Sling" for deployment, as their ocean racing training had prescribed. Calling both CG Station Gloucester and the Marblehead Harbormaster, providing the essential information, the Everests were maneuvering toward the survivor when Lydia arrived on scene.

Brimbles day marker

As soon as the Auxiliary crew knew that there was a man overboard nearby, they roared away from the mouth of Marblehead Harbor toward the vessel "Atlantic Wavedancer." Sea conditions were sufficiently rough that coxswain Weston judiciously ran at 15 knots, less than half of their vessel's calm water speed. Crewmembers Stinson and Clements were tossed around a bit as they sped to the accident scene.

They arrived near the stricken vessel only six minutes after first hearing the radio call and cautiously approached the empty powerboat from downwind. An alert Auxiliarist Stinson heard a cry for help off to port after which they saw the exhausted survivor. The coxswain carefully maneuvered the boat into position to retrieve him. He also noticed a sunken reddish form nearby.

Weighing over 200 pounds and wearing slick clothing (but no PFD), it was difficult to seize and hoist the survivor onboard but crewmember Clements took the boat's helm and coxswain Weston and crewmember Stinson quickly landed the survivor, Gregory Maynard, on board one minute after they had arrived on scene. "It was pure adrenaline that made it possible- we were determined to save him," was Stinson's explanation for their success.

Auxiliarist Stinson began to treat Mr. Maynard for shock and hypothermia. The water temperature that day was 63 degrees and the survivor had been floating for 30 minutes. He told the crew that there was another man in the water, his crewman Michael Parshley. Published reports issued later revealed that the lobsterboat had tangled its propeller in a trap line, which acted as a stern anchor and swung their boat stern-to the 20 knot wind and 5 foot waves. In the course of cutting the line, both men fell overboard.

Auxiliarist Julia Tiernan at her station

Soon after, the Auxiliary crew began a search pattern looking for the missing man. The Marblehead Harbormaster arrived in the area and located the submerged form that was identified as the missing crewman.. With their boat's high freeboard, the Harbormaster crew had difficulty retrieving the body. The arrival of SeaTow and the Coast Guard 47 foot boat made it possible for the SeaTow crew to hoist the victim from the water. Two Coast Guard crewmen boarded the SeaTow boat and attempted CPR on the victim.

Onboard the Auxiliary boat Gregory Maynard's condition worsened, so coxswain Weston called the Station and was given permission to take the survivor to Marblehead Fire Department. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) met them at the town dock.

As Wallie Everest, skipper of "Atlantic Wavedancer" observed: "The Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Marblehead Harbormaster, SeaTow, the Gloucester Coast Guard and the on-shore EMTs were highly responsive in this rescue. Their teamwork and efforts resulted in the greatest respect from this mariner."