Erin and I at Phyllis and Company are SO proud of our local men and women of the United States Coast Guard in their rescue efforts in TX!
USCG sends aircrews to Gulf
Helicopters carrying an extra swimmer
By DIANA MAZZELLA
Staff Writer
Friday, September 12, 2008
Air Station Elizabeth City sent four aircrews to the Gulf coast and had a fifth on standby late Friday as the Coast Guard began ramping up rescue efforts ahead of Hurricane Ike’s arrival in Texas.
Lt. Jonathan Miller, a Coast Guard spokesman, said each helicopter crew had an extra rescue swimmer aboard because the crews are expected to be working constantly after the storm makes landfall.
“One could be tasked to the max doing most of the work,” he said. “There’s a chance to give one a break and let the other one take over for a little while.”
The first crew, manning a C-130 airplane, departed Thursday night. Their mission was to ferry Federal Emergency Management Agency passengers and cargo to Alexandria, La.
On Friday, two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters flew to the Gulf coast area to assist with rescue operations after Ike makes landfall. The massive hurricane, packing winds above 100 mph and generating storm surges of 15 to 20 feet, was expected to make landfall on the Texas coast near Galveston around midnight Friday and slowly churn inland today.
Miller said if the weather in New Orleans was bad Friday, the aircrews were going to land in Mobile, Ala.
The first aircrew departed Friday morning and included two pilots, a flight mechanic and two rescue swimmers.The second aircrew left the air station in the afternoon and also included two pilots, a flight mechanic and two rescue swimmers.
Normally aircrews don’t venture out until the storm has completely passed, Miller said. However, because of the serious damage expected from Ike, the aircrews may fly out as early as 6 a.m. today
“They’re going to push their limits,” Miller said. “They’re probably going to go out when they can make it.”
The C-130 returned to Elizabeth City on Friday, but a second was dispatched on Friday and a third was on standby to respond within six hours — or within two hours if called after 6 a.m. today.
Miller said three C-130s and three Jayhawk helicopters remain at the base.
“It’s sufficient enough that if we had search and rescue cases in the area that we’d still be able to handle them,” he said.
The aircrews sent to assist with Ike relief efforts will be under command of the Eighth District of the Coast Guard until released.
Miller said a C-130 aircrew from Air Station Elizabeth City assisted during Hurricane Gustav, but helicopter crews were not dispatched to the Gulf region during that storm.
http://www.dailyadvance.com/news/uscg-sends-aircrews-to-gulf-128399.html
