Just heard on the news that there is a fuel tanker DIW SE of Houston. The CG is debating about sending in a SAR team to assist.

Looking at the size of the ship, they will need to send in a MEC or HEC to tow it. Thats if they dont try to pull off the 22 person crew by air.

Be safe out there guys.

T

Looks like the decision has been made. The 22 person crew will have to ride IKE out.

Hang on Folks.

Crew must wait out storm.

Tough call, a little more wind and they might be able to get a c130 to hover.

they are reporting on CNN that USAF Special Ops are going to fly out in CV-22's and airlift the crew off.

here is a news brief from the AF:

Hurlburt Airmen assist with freighter rescue

9/12/2008 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFPN) -- Airmen of the 1st Special Operations Wing here launched two CV-22 Ospreys, an MC-130P Combat Shadow and an MH-53 Pave Low helicopter Sept. 12 to prepare for a possible rescue of 22 people aboard the Cyprus-flagged freighter Antalina adrift in the Gulf of Mexico south of Louisiana caught in Hurricane Ike.

An MC-130W Combat Spear from Cannon Air Force Base, N.M, but currently on station at Hurlburt Field, was also launched in the effort.

Four pararescue teams from Air Force Special Operations Command's 720th Special Tactics Group, were on board the aircraft along with two inflatable Zodiac boats.

The Air Force Special Operations Command teams and aircraft will be assisting the Coast Guard in the rescue attempts.


Regards,....Bill

I hope someone gets a vidio of this. Would love to see those birds landing in a hurricane on the deck of the tanker that's rocking and rolling without any power.
Thanks for sharing,

It's not a tanker, it's a freighter carrying petroleum coke, a by-product of the steel-making industry that is similar to coal and is burned as fuel.

Chertoff just briefed that the mission failed and the storm was to intense.

T

I wonder if they were able to get a few of the AF PJ's onto the freighter?

Heres a link to the hoist cam from a houston H65 hoisting up 2 people and 2 dogs from the rising water in Galveston.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/weather/2008/09/12/vo....st.guard.rescue.uscg

The CG has its hands full in this storm,stay tuned.

You ain't seen nothin' yet....

Wray..

Latest radar. its all down hill from here.

T

The A/N crews will be gone a few days after the storm is over

That was a very cool hoist, some of the terms have changed a bit since I went on hot mic, but it still very cool and exciting.
Thanks for sharing.
Dick

Chief, I'd say more like a few weeks.... while on ANVIL, we went up to build range lights on the Houston Ship Channel after hurricane Alicia... I think we were gone about a month or so...

For the latest on the hurricane, check here:

http://www.stormpulse.com

Wray...

Wray,

Thanks for the link. Very useful. The archives are great too !

I found out yesterday that my brother in the USCG was en route to Texas. I just hope he along with all the other Coast Guard men and women aren't all that busy, unlike post Katrina.

Stay safe out there.

Don

I saw on the news that Coast Guard was already there. Doing their job as usual

I wonder how the crew on the freighter/tanker did riding the storm out?