Noticed this on the 1,000,000 served, I mean saved press release.

Top 10 CG Rescue Videos

Personally, I think the Ft Lauderdale rescue should be #1. That one still gives me chills to this day.

T

excellent rescues, no doubt. i'd bet there are many other amazing rescues that would give those 10 a run for their money had they been caught on video as well. BZ to all the crews.

quote:

Originally posted by Old_School_Swimmer:
excellent rescues, no doubt. i'd bet there are many other amazing rescues that would give those 10 a run for their money had they been caught on video as well. BZ to all the crews.

Unless you are stationed in a big city, most likely there will be no news coverage with video of your rescue.

Didn't watch the video as it is late...maybe tomorrow but I am wondering if any of them were of a boarding conducted by, I believe, the Hamilton, WHEC-715 back in 1983 or 1984?

They were preparing to board a Haitian sailboat overloaded with migrants. As the boarding team went onboard, the Haitians started pouring out of everywhere like ants from an ant hill. The boat became top heavy and capsized. I am not sure if my memory is correct but I am sure boarding team members were dragged under by panicking Haitians clinging to them, just not sure if any Coast Guard members drowned.

We (Chase, WHEC-718) relieved them for HMIO and went through training for how to deal with such a situation.

Don

The top 10 rescues, that we have video of.

I think this is #1 or very close. No Helos and no videotape might disqualify it by today's standard.

Pendleton, February 12, 1952

I am sure the early surfmen on Plum Island in the days of wind and sail could tell some winter tales if they were alive today.

You can listen to the original NPR (National Public Radio) report here:

One Million Rescued Since 1790

I could have sworn I have seen footage of the CGC Pontchartrain rescue of a Pan Am aircraft that ditched in 1956. I attended a 255 reunion a couple years back where passnegrs and flight crew members of the plane, plus crew from the Ponch discussed the event.

Pretty impressive. The plane ditched within about 1/2 mile of the ship and everyone on board was rescued. One of the flight crew said he walked out onto the wing and stepped directly into the small boat, never even got wet.

I can't find a film or video on line, and I don't remember seeing one.

Here's part of the TIME Magazine story regarding the ditching of Clipper 943 (10/26/56):

quote:

. . . Now it was daylight. At 8:04 a.m. Ogg announced: ten minutes. Then, one minute. The passengers braced. Ogg carefully aimed the big Boeing Stratocruiser for a strip of white fire-fighting foam that Pontchartrain had laid to aid the pilot's depth perception. He kissed the plane onto the hard waves, touching gently at first. Then it bounced hard, whipped around violently as an engine tore loose, snapped in two. Quickly the crew discharged and inflated the life rafts. The passengers waded cautiously through the cabin rubble, hopped into the rafts. Within ten minutes after the Stratocruiser struck water Pontchar train's small boats had picked up all survivors-only five were slightly injured-and deposited them, snuggled into blankets, aboard the cutter. Eleven minutes later, what was left of the Stratocruiser disappeared in the foam.

Full Story

Despite how well it went, the CO (Commander William Earle, later CO of the Eagle (1963/65) filed a long critique of the incident emphasizing what went wrong, and making recommendations for improvement.

...gjd

Stan,

I've seen the Ponchatrain film. It was quite extensive and showed how they sprayed fuel oil on the water to calm the landing area.

Pat,

As I recall from my time spent on Ocean Station November (too much time!) it was the fire fighting foam that we dumped to smooth the waves. Came in red 5 gallon cans and I used to hate hauling those cans back to the fantail.

Stan,

That could be what they spread. That old horse blood, protein foam was some nasty stuff. We used it in the fire service until AFFF became affordable by municipalities.

The film I saw was turned into a TV show but I can't remember which one and it was quite some time ago.

Ponchatrain 8mm film.

Also recall the film, once picked up the tidbit that it was the personal film of one of the CSs, and the only guy with a camera that thought it might be note worthy event.

The foam to lay the sea lane was indeed that old animal blood & guts mechanical foam. Two elephant dicks, one over each quarter, puking out the foam. CIC had the heading formula, down wind, across swell ???

Recall laying just such a lane on OS Delta for some knucklehead flying from Nova Scotia to Ireland. Ripped the top off my finger passing up a can from after steering. An ancient HMC Taylor flopped it back on and stitched 'er in place. The pilot changed his mind at the last minute and continued on eastward.

For the surface folks, could almost swear that somewhere there is a very old WW2 footage of the LAMUT rescue up the side of a cliff on the Washington coastline, and recall watching one probably late 1920's of an early version 36' going alongside some hulk, probably on the Columbia.

If you want to read about some really good rescues, just Google search for "Coast Guard Medal". There are copies of most of the citations that have been given out. Makes for some spine tingling reading. It is very interesting to read the citations for several rescues that I was involved in over 40 years ago.

quote:

Originally posted by BosnFrank:
If you want to read about some really good rescues, just Google search for "Coast Guard Medal". There are copies of most of the citations that have been given out. Makes for some spine tingling reading. It is very interesting to read the citations for several rescues that I was involved in over 40 years ago.

One of our posters here has two of those.

T

A future tavern owner perhaps?