# Video: USCG High Seas Rescue of Four Sailors from Disabled Sailboat



## AWT2_Sail

Glad all are recovered safely. 
USCG Rescues 4 Injured from Disabled SV


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## SanderO

WOW


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## T37Chef

Damn


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## paulk

May is early to be out there. Confusing that the video seems to go from daylight to pitch dark. Losing the mast, with injuries, is serious. Glad everyone got out OK.


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## AWT2_Sail

paulk said:


> May is early to be out there. Confusing that the video seems to go from daylight to pitch dark. Losing the mast, with injuries, is serious. Glad everyone got out OK.


Noticed that too. Maybe they took the more seriously injured ashore first. Looks like only the stretcher came up in daylight and the first one off was laying on the deck not standing. It’s “only” 80 miles to NYC.


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## PhilCarlson

That was NOT better than a day in the office.


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## JoeDunn

Is there more to the story? Why they would leave or not head into a nearby port earlier on Saturday with two stationary fronts off the coast and a low pressure system that just exited the area this Thursday morning...I know they got picked up on Sunday but it was windy (gale warnings with higher gusts forecasted) from Saturday afternoon until Wednesday evening for these waters...Impressive US Coast Guard rescue! Glad to know the USCG is there but it shouldn't be taken for granted!


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## MarkofSeaLife

I'm amazed at these rescuers. The person that volunteerily gets dumped into stormy seas to swim a wreckage strewn sea, to climb aboard when no one assists him - they must have been too badly injured - then to do a multi hour rescue. That is indeed courage!

It appears there's a sea anchor off the bow. That's good.

Shows why an EPIRB alone is not adequate for comms. Shows the value of digital packaging they could get a Tweet out at such range... Unless the info was not correct and it was a Spot Messenger etc.

Great result. The swimmer & rescue crew have earned 2 beers 🍻 (EACH!).


Mark


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## hpeer

More to story surely. 

But we all make mistakes. 

I got caught in 14” breakers one afternoon, wx totally missed that one. I still don’t understand what happened that day. 

Luckily the breakers were going my way and the boat took care of me. All ended well. Pure luck.


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## marcjsmith

MarkofSeaLife said:


> The person that voluntarily gets dumped into stormy seas to swim a wreckage strewn sea,


I surprised that the USCG Helo can take off with the size and weight of the brass hanging between the rescuers legs... Swimmers, pilots, winch operator. all of them....


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## Johncc

I have questions…

Hopefully we’ll get some follow up information about what happened here.

Oh and a BZ to that CG crew. 👍


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## PhilCarlson

MarkofSeaLife said:


> I'm amazed at these rescuers. The person that volunteerily gets dumped into stormy seas to swim a wreckage strewn sea, to climb aboard when no one assists him - they must have been too badly injured - then to do a multi hour rescue.


Did you notice how quickly he was able to board? Also that he was moving easily around the boat with his swim fins still on. I have difficulty in calm seas if wearing flipflops! The pilots are at the top of their profession, too.

I'm in awe of these guys and they will never pay for drinks in my company.


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## jeremiahblatz

I'm pretty sure that's not a sea anchor off the bow, I think that's their forestay and jib! A sea anchor would be nice, especially when he waves started washing over the foredeck at night...


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## The Coney Island Kid

Wow


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## PhilCarlson

jeremiahblatz said:


> I'm pretty sure that's not a sea anchor off the bow, I think that's their forestay and jib! A sea anchor would be nice, especially when he waves started washing over the foredeck at night...


I agree, maybe still attached to the spar.


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## BarryL

HI,

I don't want to go into this too much but here is some additional information:
Boat was a 2002 C&C 121 - a 40' cruiser / racer. Boat had been well maintained and updated by the owner - a very experienced sailor
They departed Bermuda bound for Long Island. I don't know all of the details but when they left Bermuda was weather models for arriving in NY were contradictory. I don't know if they were able to receive weather updates while en route
Saturday the weather turned to crap. They were about 80nm south of Long Island. They hove too and went below to rest. Probably one person on watch on deck.
A LARGE wave, estimated at 25', broke onto the boat. This shattered the carbon fiber mast into pieces. The force of the wave landing on deck wiped out the stanchions and lifelines, and bent all of the deck supports below. The crew were injured when they flew around the cabin.

I don't know why the carbon fiber mast shattered like that. I believe it was original - 20 years old. Could that have made it brittle? During the trip south (in the fall) there was an issue with the forestay. I believe the boat was repaired with a new forestay. Maybe some hidden damage?

Amazing job by the CG!

Barry


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## Barquito

That looked rough. The last guy to go up got blasted pretty good before being lifted.


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## MarkofSeaLife

Thanks @BarryL 
That sounds likely.

One problem with having a crew of 4 is someone will always be on a time schedule. I you say "we leave Saturday" and folks fly in for a 1 week 'delivery' and then the wx is crap for that Saturday you have a lot of pressure not to put it off for a week... or 2 weeks.
Difficulty at the edges of the seasons is weather is more unpredictable. Always has been, always will be.

But it appears they were prudent hoving to and not trying to punch into it.

Mark


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## GlanRock

Wow! I'm super comforted to know the USCG are out there, and very hopeful I never need their services. Nothing but respect for them.


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## capta

MarkofSeaLife said:


> I'm amazed at these rescuers. The person that volunteerily gets dumped into stormy seas to swim a wreckage strewn sea, to climb aboard when no one assists him - they must have been too badly injured - then to do a multi hour rescue. That is indeed courage!
> 
> It appears there's a sea anchor off the bow. That's good.
> 
> Shows why an EPIRB alone is not adequate for comms. Shows the value of digital packaging they could get a Tweet out at such range... Unless the info was not correct and it was a Spot Messenger etc.
> 
> Great result. The swimmer & rescue crew have earned 2 beers 🍻 (EACH!).
> 
> 
> Mark


I believe that was the RF jib.


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## capta

I find these kinds of stories difficult to understand.
When I began sailing up and down the left coast and eventually further, to Hawaii and beyond, there was no get out of trouble free card that could be used to call for help. We HAD to know how to heave-to in a storm, make a serviceable rig from the remains of the original, and sail ourselves to safety. There wasn't a lot of choice in boats; the heavy ponderous boats we the thing. Today, with GPS people think they can take an unseaworthy vessel to sea and get lucky, or not, as in this case.
Those are indeed huge seas, but not that dangerous for a well found vessel and experienced crew. Personally, I'm more of the impression that they were laying ahull and were struck by a big wave and rolled, but i doubt seriously that it was a "rogue" wave. And how would they know, if cowering below? It seems they made no effort to cast off the broken rig and sails, or to get the boat under control again. Perhaps they had no way to cut the wires?
If you want to see what I'm talking about, read "Once is Enough" by Miles Smeeton. That book saved my life and the lives of my wife and daughter when we were capsized three times in a Cyclone (Pacific hurricane) off Fiji. After reading that book, I knew exactly what to do and without a moment's hesitation, got right to work.


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## SanderO

I agree with Capta... they were not doing anything about the waves and they took a big one and that was it. Unless the waves were very confused... one is better off to find a point sail or motor to work WITH the waves. Have been in similar conditions once it's almost impossible to not ship green water... or have some waves break on the deck. They must have taken a huge wave unprepared for it.


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## MarkofSeaLife

Nowadays there's many more boats at sea and far fewer % sinkings/abandonings. Most importantly fewer deaths. These 4 would have been dead but for EPIRBS. 
Also new technogy includes not only the e tended range of helicopters but this outrageously coragous practise of swimmers.

I think I first hear of swimmers being deployed only about 10 years ago... In an amazing rescue near the Maquesas Islands a US C130 parachuted 4 paramedics plus a RIB thousands of miles off any coast.
But "swimmers" are a 'technology'. They aren't nutters, presumably, so the technology is in the selection, training, enhanced skills, and equipment they carry, plus there must be some backup planned for them if things go wrong.

We are not going to stop going to sea, nor revert to sailing bricks...


Mark 😊


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## paulk

JoeDunn said:


> Is there more to the story? Why they would leave or not head into a nearby port earlier on Saturday with two stationary fronts off the coast and a low pressure system that just exited the area this Thursday morning...I know they got picked up on Sunday but it was windy (gale warnings with higher gusts forecasted) from Saturday afternoon until Wednesday evening for these waters...Impressive US Coast Guard rescue! Glad to know the USCG is there but it shouldn't be taken for granted!


Does seem there is more to the story. It appears this same vessel had problems heading down to the Caribbean in October: breaking their headstay, getting lines fouled in the prop... Other boats helped them then, but the learning curve must have been steeper than this owner anticipated.


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## SanderO

paulk said:


> Does seem there is more to the story. It appears this same vessel had problems heading down to the Caribbean in October: breaking their headstay, getting lines fouled in the prop... Other boats helped them then, but the learning curve must have been steeper than this owner anticipated.


Well that's a tell that they were in over their heads perhaps and should not have been offshore.


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## peikenberry

MarkofSeaLife said:


> Nowadays there's many more boats at sea and far fewer % sinkings/abandonings. Most importantly fewer deaths. These 4 would have been dead but for EPIRBS.
> Also new technogy includes not only the e tended range of helicopters but this outrageously coragous practise of swimmers.
> 
> I think I first hear of swimmers being deployed only about 10 years ago... In an amazing rescue near the Maquesas Islands a US C130 parachuted 4 paramedics plus a RIB thousands of miles off any coast.
> But "swimmers" are a 'technology'. They aren't nutters, presumably, so the technology is in the selection, training, enhanced skills, and equipment they carry, plus there must be some backup planned for them if things go wrong.
> 
> We are not going to stop going to sea, nor revert to sailing bricks...
> 
> 
> Mark 😊


Actually the Rescue Swimmer program started in the mid 80's 1984 - U. S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Program Established - Coast Guard Aviation History Just about the time I got transferred from USCG Base San Francisco to USCG HQ in DC. I can remember a lot of talk about it. Kevin Kostner made a movie about it in 2006 (the Guardian) I'm no fan of Kostner but he did a pretty fair job on that one. As a retired Coast Guard Officer I am also in awe of the people who do this. Frankly I am in awe of anyone who will fly a helo out into the storm when everyone else is grounded. They have to be a little nuts to do that. Of course we ship sailors go out in some really god-awful weather too (three hurricanes under my belt) But I have always said you got to be a little crazy to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft. 

As for these people. lack of preparation, not watching the forecasts (the marine forecasts not the on shore stuff) and too much reliance on electronic technology (thank God it's there, it takes the Search out of Search and Rescue ) As for the boat, it will be found a month (or sooner) from now, doing just fine.


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## MarkofSeaLife

@peikenberry is the US swimmer program emulated anywhere else in the world? 

Thanks for the history 😊😁😊


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## peikenberry

The US Air Force Rescue and Recover service has them. They call them parajumpers or Pararescue. Their primary task is rescuing downed pilots in combat ( talk about hazardous) but they also do a lot of the same kind of rescue work as the Coast Guard. I actually saw them in action when I was stationed in Salt Lake City. An F-16 went down in the Great Salt Lake. The pilot wasn't in the water more than a few minutes. The AFRRS had him out there in less than five minutes. They have had them far longer than the Coast Guard. They did a lot of work in Vietnam. The only other country that I know has them is the UK. Most of their Coast Guard are local volunteers but they do have a helicopter air wing flown by military personnel. Of course many other countries have formed Coast Guards and they only one I know anything about is Japan. Theirs is a lot like ours. BTW China has a Coast Guard too but I don't think it's for doing rescue work. LOL

PS: I looked them up. Now the Air Force calls them Rescue Squadrons and they are now under the Air Combat Command. https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Air_Rescue_Service


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## PNesbett

Looks like this is the owner’s blog.








Thoughts on C&C 121 and SV Calypso


When I first saw pictures of the C&C 121 in 1999 I fell in love with it. After acquiring one in unreasonably rotten condition (as can be ...




svcalypso52726.blogspot.com


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## seabeau

A childhood friend of mine's oldest son was a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer. He and all his crew were killed on a rescue mission off California in the late 1990s. His name was Jimmy Caines.


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## peikenberry

Some links about Jimmy Caines








Air Station Savannah: ASM3 James G. Caines Memorial Run to Remember


Honoring heroes. Empowering families. Supporting those who protect our nation.




coastguardfoundation.org








__





Petty Officer 3rd Class James G. Caines Archives - Coast Guard News







coastguardnews.com












Coast Guard Holds Memorial for Local Helicopter Crew Lost 23 Years Ago


“The Coast Guard honors the sacrifice of four crewmembers lost at sea in 1997 off the coast of Cape Mendocino, with a live stream scheduled Monday at Coast Guard Sector Humboldt.”



kymkemp.com





May God grant him peace, fair winds and following seas.


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