TrickyDik
04-11-2008, 01:44 AM
Figured I keep a thread open for myself to post all the fun Search and Rescue cases I get to be involved with this Summer season. I'll update with a new post/story every time one happens while I'm on shift.
11 April 2008:
1252am:
Call comes in that a lobster vessel hit an obstacle in the water (first reports are that it was a pier). Two people go into the water in the vicinity of Carvers Harbor which is located on Vinalhaven Island near Penobscot Bay. One person was safely on land, possibly swam there but the second is un-accounted for.
We begin to draft a Urgent Marine Information Broadcast that will be read over VHF radio frequencies alerting any boaters to the situation. The area in question is the responsibility of Coast Guard Small Boat Station Rockland Maine. They are alerted (woken up) and begin to gear up, which includes putting on a cold water survival suit since water temperatures are still dangerously low. This process is a slow one but necessary to the survival of the rescue team if they are unfortunately tossed into the water. In the Coast Guard we rescue in a certain way: Coasties first, general public second, property last. That means if one of us ends up in the drink the crew turns their attention to saving the Coast Guard member first, then the other people, then their property.
1254am:
Marine Broadcast is issued for the first time across 3 radio towers that are located in the area. Each has a 20-30 nautical mile radius for reliability. One of the towers is actually on a large mountain (Cadillac Mountain) and can often reach 50-80 nautical miles in distance.
1254am-0110am:
Rescue crew is still gearing up and getting the small boat (a 47 foot motor life boat) up and running. Local Sheriffs are in the area and are attempting to locate and rescue the missing man.
0110am:
Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) is read again over radio frequencies. UMIB's are issued one time, then read 4 more times every 15 minutes. That is Coast Guard policy. Depending on the what the situation is the UMIB may then be broadcast every 30 minutes or 60 minutes after the initial 5 broadcasts.
0113am:
Local Sheriffs have located the missing man and he is safe. Both men are questioned and it is revealed that they were never in the water. Unfortunately they had been operating their vessel while both of them are highly intoxicated. This caused them to ground the vessel on to a rocky beach which is what triggered a local resident to call 911 and state that 2 men had falled into the water. Both men are now in police custody and charged with operating a commercial vessel while intoxicated.
0115am:
A cancellation broadcast is read over the radio frequencies to inform the public that the urgency has been cancelled and assistance is no longer required. Coast Guard Station Rockland Maine stands down and a team now prepares to drive out to the scene in their Emergency Chevy Tahoe to asses the situation and determine if the grounded vessel is leaking any pollution into the ocean.
0116am:
TrickyDik is thankful he doesn't have anything else he has to do and goes back to kicking his feet up on the desk and browsing the internet while he opens up his Monster energy drink so he can stay awake.
11 April 2008:
1252am:
Call comes in that a lobster vessel hit an obstacle in the water (first reports are that it was a pier). Two people go into the water in the vicinity of Carvers Harbor which is located on Vinalhaven Island near Penobscot Bay. One person was safely on land, possibly swam there but the second is un-accounted for.
We begin to draft a Urgent Marine Information Broadcast that will be read over VHF radio frequencies alerting any boaters to the situation. The area in question is the responsibility of Coast Guard Small Boat Station Rockland Maine. They are alerted (woken up) and begin to gear up, which includes putting on a cold water survival suit since water temperatures are still dangerously low. This process is a slow one but necessary to the survival of the rescue team if they are unfortunately tossed into the water. In the Coast Guard we rescue in a certain way: Coasties first, general public second, property last. That means if one of us ends up in the drink the crew turns their attention to saving the Coast Guard member first, then the other people, then their property.
1254am:
Marine Broadcast is issued for the first time across 3 radio towers that are located in the area. Each has a 20-30 nautical mile radius for reliability. One of the towers is actually on a large mountain (Cadillac Mountain) and can often reach 50-80 nautical miles in distance.
1254am-0110am:
Rescue crew is still gearing up and getting the small boat (a 47 foot motor life boat) up and running. Local Sheriffs are in the area and are attempting to locate and rescue the missing man.
0110am:
Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) is read again over radio frequencies. UMIB's are issued one time, then read 4 more times every 15 minutes. That is Coast Guard policy. Depending on the what the situation is the UMIB may then be broadcast every 30 minutes or 60 minutes after the initial 5 broadcasts.
0113am:
Local Sheriffs have located the missing man and he is safe. Both men are questioned and it is revealed that they were never in the water. Unfortunately they had been operating their vessel while both of them are highly intoxicated. This caused them to ground the vessel on to a rocky beach which is what triggered a local resident to call 911 and state that 2 men had falled into the water. Both men are now in police custody and charged with operating a commercial vessel while intoxicated.
0115am:
A cancellation broadcast is read over the radio frequencies to inform the public that the urgency has been cancelled and assistance is no longer required. Coast Guard Station Rockland Maine stands down and a team now prepares to drive out to the scene in their Emergency Chevy Tahoe to asses the situation and determine if the grounded vessel is leaking any pollution into the ocean.
0116am:
TrickyDik is thankful he doesn't have anything else he has to do and goes back to kicking his feet up on the desk and browsing the internet while he opens up his Monster energy drink so he can stay awake.