USCG Air Station Kodiak MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew managed to rescue four fishermen that were aboard the fishing vessel Savannah Ray which ran aground in Chiniak Bay close to Kodiak Island, Alaska, on Monday morning.
The four fishermen were hoisted by the helicopter crew from their grounded vessel and were then transferred to the awaiting emergency medical services in Kodiak.
Coast Guard Rescues Four from Grounded Vessel near Kodiak, Alaska
The Savannah Ray Coast sent out a 406 Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon alert that was received by Guard 17th District command center watchstanders in early morning Monday. USCG Sector Anchorage watchstanders immediately began sending out callouts for the vessel and its crewmembers in order to determine whether or not they needed assistance and in return received a broken MAYDAY response from the Savannah Ray crew that stated that the vessel had run aground with four crew members aboard and that they were putting on their survival suits and had already deployed their liferaft.
USCG Air Station Kodiak then appointed the Jayhawk helicopter crew to the location of the grounded fisher vessel, where they managed to safely hoist the 4 fishermen.
“This rescue puts extra emphasis on how critical exactly it is to have a registered 406 EPIRB onboard when tasked to operate a vessel of any caliber or size,” commented Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Sheean, watchstander, Sector Anchorage.
“When faced to deal with an emergency situation, especially when it happens to be in the freezing waters of Alaska, it is essential for responders to immediately know that an event has taken place and your vessel’s location.”
The weather conditions at the time of the rescue operation were reported as 51 mph winds along with 11-foot seas.
Source & Video: CoastGuardNews