Coast Guard rescues 4 abandoning ship 172 miles off N.C.

WILMINGTON, N.C. - A Coast Guard helicopter rescue crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., hoisted four people from a sailing vessel, 172 miles east of Wilmington, Friday.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received notification at 9:15 a.m. that the 50-foot sailboat Kekoa was coming apart and taking on water.

A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft rescue crew from Air Station Elizabeth City arrived on scene at 10:53 a.m. to provide aerial coverage for the four survivors in 20-25 foot seas until an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter rescue crew arrived.

The helicopter rescue crew hoisted all four people from their life raft and transported them to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. All four people are listed in good condition.

All survivors were wearing personal flotation devices, activated their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon and used a satellite phone and VHF radio.

The Coast Guard issued a Marine Safety Information Broadcast to inform other boaters of the vessel adrift.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Coast Guard
• USCG
• CG
• NC
• North Carolina
• Wilmington
• rescue
• hoist
• MH-60
• swimmer
• basket

[roblc11]

@peedeebee15 I'm a flight mech in the coast guard and I can tell you why. The basket is the preferred method of recovery because it provides the most protection.

[bluejonquils]

@peedeebee15 I am pretty sure they still use strops in the USCG, too. However, skittery, in-shock people sometimes pass out or let go in mid-air which is complicated if they're not in a basket. If they're by themselves, they can fall and if a rescue swimmer is riding up with them, it can be hard for the rescue swimmer to keep a hold of them. I think they weigh it case-by-case sometimes, which apparatus is the best choice.

[toyboysx]

Great job

[pacovela3312]

Great job Air Station E City!!!!

[peedeebee15]

All British Air-sea rescue Helicopters use a strop, weighted down by the rescue crewman (or diver) being on the end.. No rescue would be carried out without a trained man being on the hook.

[seal650]

Believe me the best mlatary in the world has thieir reasons. For one, a rescue strap is light and the heavy basket holds the cable down. If the cable gets caught in the rotors, the helicopter could go down.

[h60flyer]

Who was the Mech and swimmer?

[richtuffs]

Great to see my friend Paul safe and sound, but what happened to the poor blokes boat they were sailing. Richard

[peedeebee15]

A great job well done, USCG! However, can anyone tell me why the USCG persist in using a basket for apparently uninjured survivors? In the UK we tend to use a rescue strop, which, if used in this case, would have halved the time taken to get the guys out of the water.

[ams8900]

Maybe you guys should check the storm and swell info before you leave next time. You guys missed some fun surf =)