In addition to conducting safe boating classes and free vessel safety checks for the general boating public, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary members train year round for search and rescue. Recently, three boats from Flotilla 33 were performing a night search and rescue training exercise in the Chesapeake Bay. During the middle of the exercise, a call was received from Sector Hampton Roads requesting assistance.
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| Night Operations Crew (L to R) Jim Thomas, Amy Thomas, Wally Dawson, Brian McArdle |
The Coast Guard received an emergency call from a boat with mechanical failure on the Rappahannock River with one of their occupants not feeling well. They stated that they were without their medicine. They were also concerned about their safety since their battery was running low and unable to show their anchor light all night. It was late at night and there were no other boats around to assist them.
Coast Guard Station Milford Haven knew that several Flotilla 33 boats were conducting training and notified Sector Hampton Roads, who then made direct contact and requested the assistance.
“Due to possible medical conditions of one of the occupants we immediately broke off the training exercise to render assistance,” said Jim Thomas, Auxiliary coxswain. “Although traveling at night brings its own set of hazards, we traveled at maximum safe speed to reach the disabled vessel in a minimum amount of time.”
“Normally, it is the Coast Guard’s responsibility to insure that boaters are taken out of life-threatening situations and do not act as a commercial towing service. The policy is to bring any disabled boat to the nearest safe haven,” commented Wally Dawson, Flotilla Vice-Commander and crew member on the Auxiliary boat.
After assessing the situation of the occupants and the vessel, it was determined that the boat needed to be towed back to their home port in Deltaville. “Because one of the occupants needed medicine that was in their vehicle at their dock, the Sector Hampton Roads authorized towing the vessel back to Deltaville,” said Thomas.
A little after midnight the rescued boaters arrived at their dock safe and very grateful that the Flotilla 33 facility and crew was there for them that night. The Auxiliary crew, happy to have assisted boaters in distress, finally reached their home pier just after 2:30 a.m.
“This is the 4th time this year that Flotilla 33 boats and crews have rendered assistance to local boaters after dark. Thirteen friends and neighbors have been removed from potentially hazardous situations. This is precisely why Auxiliarists conduct operational training year round,” said Dawson.
~IJLA