NOAA News NOAA Home Page

NOAA SHIPS ASSIST IN SEARCH AND RESCUES

June 17, 1999 — On the evening of May 27, NOAA Ship RAINIER picked up a message from the vessel "Sandy M" that they were taking on water. The seas were four to six feet, winds southerly at 20 knots, gusts to 30. RAINIER notified the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) station in Juneau of their location, status and ETA. The Alaska State Ferry MALASPINA was also in the area and both vessels were requested to divert and assist. RAINIER deployed two of its boats with dewatering pumps, medical equipment and 6 personnel.

The vessel was a 36-foot wooden pleasure craft with water in the bilge that was now over the floorboards. RAINIER's Junior Engineer found the installed bilge pumps clogged and was able to clear and repair them. No entry point for the water was located and it was believed that the vessel was taking water over the transom due to the following seas, which entered the engine compartment. Once the pumps were working, MALASPINA was released from the effort. A USCG vessel arrived on scene and relieved RAINIER.

_____________________
On the morning of May 29, the NOAA Ship MILLER FREEMAN overheard an emergency radio call from the F/V BONANZA to USCG Communications Station Kodiak. The 38-foot BONANZA was seven nautical miles offshore of the Alaska Peninsula near Puale Bay and experiencing 40-knot winds, gusts to 60 knots, and 18 to 24 foot seas. The USCG Air Station Kodiak launched a rescue helicopter to respond to the BONANZA's position. MILLER FREEMAN informed USCG of their location and was directed to the last reported position of the BONANZA.

As the MILLER FREEMAN headed north to the BONANZA, the wind and sea conditions worsened. By the time they arrived on scene at 1:00 p.m., it was raining, temperature was 40 degrees, winds were 40 knots, and seas 18 to 20 feet. Upon arrival, the MILLER FREEMAN maneuvered into a position 0.25 nautical miles ahead of and up-wind of the BONANZA to provide a lee. Maintaining a speed such that the BONANZA was able to keep up and not dive into the 20-foot waves, the MILLER FREEMAN led the way toward Puale Bay.




Four hours later, MILLER FREEMAN and the BONANZA entered Puale Bay and anchored in the partial lee of the eastern side of the island. Once anchored, the BONANZA's captain and crew were welcomed aboard the MILLER FREEMAN and provided with a hot meal, hot beverages and warm hospitality. The captain and crew of the BONANZA had been awake for over 30 hours fighting the weather and trying to make it from Homer to their home on the Aleutian Island of Atka, which is 460 nautical miles west of Dutch Harbor.

_______________________
On the afternoon of May 29, 1999, the NOAA Ship McARTHUR received a report that the cabin cruiser CASABLANCA was reported sinking in Coches Prietos Anchorage, south side of Santa Cruz Island, California. The McARTHUR was located 2.5 miles east of the CASABLANCA's position. The CASABLANCA reportedly started taking on water when her twin screws became fouled around an anchor chain. The torque on the screws apparently damaged the packing glands and the boat started taking on water into the engine compartment. The McARTHUR launched its rescue boat, with a portable bilge pump aboard, to investigate and assist as needed.

The rescue boat arrived on scene and observed the 45-foot CASABLANCA foundering near the shore and flooded up to the main deck. Fuel for the CASABLANCA was observed in the surrounding water and the odor of petroleum was heavy in the air. The vessel's owner and several others were struggling to haul the CASABLANCA ashore which was already heavily flooded and tending to drift offshore.

McARTHUR's rescue boat was positioned astern of the CASABLANCA but backed away when smoke was observed billowing out of the cabin. Once the smoke cleared, the CASABLANCA was pushed toward shore until she was aground. The crew from the rescue boat secured all the power aboard CASABLANCA, checked for any injured or stranded personnel, and began dewatering with the portable bilge pump.

All of CASABLANCA's crew were safe and on the beach. The situation aboard the sinking boat was now stabilized. The USCG and vessel assist team was en route from Santa Barbara and arrived on scene approximately 1.5 hours later. McARTHUR received calls from the USCG and the vessel that reported the incident thanking them for their assistance.

Office of NOAA Corps Operations
Since NOAA’s beginning, a large percentage of its oceanographic, atmospheric, hydrographic, fisheries and coastal data has been collected on NOAA ships and aircraft. This fleet of platforms is managed and operated by the Office of NOAA Corps Operations, an office made up of civilians and officers of the NOAA Commissioned Corps (a uniformed service of the United States). In addition to research and monitoring activities critical to NOAA’s mission, NOAA ships and aircraft provide immediate response capabilities for unpredictable events, such as recovery and search efforts after the TWA Flight 800 crash, damage assessment after major oil spills such as the Exxon Valdez, Persian Gulf War and New Carissa, and several major hurricanes during the 1998 season.

 

-end-