Rescuers performed bravely under horrendous conditions (Bering Sea)

Anchorage Dail;y News ^ | 12-11-04 | DOUG O'HARRA

[Species8472]

A Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Kodiak hovers over the cutter Alex Haley to transfer crewmen from the Selendang Ayu. (Photo by U.S. Coast Guard )

[USNBandit]

Those are really tough conditions, in addition to the snow, hovering over water at night is very challenging due to several optical illusions pilots will encounter. I am not a helicopter pilot, but I know first hand that flying on NVD's through snow sucks.

Pray for these men and women. They go out in the worst of conditions.

[Dog Gone]

Not to mention that there is very little daylight this time of year.

[Senormechanico]

"Hurricane-force gusts can knock the copter side to side, up and down. The sea can rise and fall the height of a three-story building in a minute."

Make that "in a second."
The worst I ever saw on my sailboat was 20 feet, from 3 directions. It was scary enough, but it was in Mexico, daylight and 80 degrees water and air temp.

These guys are amazing!

SM

[Species8472]

I have lost several friends crab fishing out there. The boats ice up and capsize without the time to get a mayday off.

[CGASMIA68]

"Ya gota go out but ya dont have to come back"
Mari time heros;always have been always will be.....true sea-man and air-man........
Semper Paratus...........

[konaice]

The broken freighter at the rescue scene

[sasportas]

Coastguardsmen are our most unsung heros. Especially in Alaska. How many lives have they saved? and under extreme conditions. They are very professional in every thing they do. From an old Navy man here in Alaska, my hat is off to these guys.

[patton]

Ahem. Ping.

(MAN, THAT TOOK ME THREE YEARS! LOL)

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

God Bless the US Coast Guard

The unsung heroes who risk their lives to save others.

Everyday can be the next disaster.

Everyday they are ready.

Day after day, Year after year.

[Jack Deth]

United States Coast Guard:

Unsung solid, skilled professionals.

God bless, watch over and protect them all!

Jack.

[Pastnowfuturealpha]

I've seen rescues exactly as what was described - and these guys are a brave lot! Great work - under terrible conditions - God bless them for their service -

[Tailback]

I agree, I went to Harvard on the hill (aka Clatsop community college in Astoria, OR) with a recently discharged rescue swimmer. He was one of the approximately 15 veterans of one sort or another that was part of the veteran mafia while I was there. We told some pretty tall tales of all our exploits but that swimmer had newspaper clippings and he was carrying around some huge brass balls.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

I know a rescue swimmer in training from Station Coos Bay

He was set to start a few weeks ago.

He had the right attitude, I wish him the best.

It's a very tough course.

I believe drop out is around 50%

[PowerPro]

These are the people that should be making millions of dollars a year - not the idiot celebrities out of Hollywood...

[Species8472]

These are the people that should be making millions of dollars a year - not the idiot celebrities out of Hollywood

I agree! However, most of the folks I know in that line of work are not in it for the money.

[Travis McGee]

Old unofficial USCG SAR motto:

"You have to go out. You don't have to come back."

[Travis McGee]

PJ bump.

[Squantos]

USCG calls em Rescue Swimmer or SAR Swimmers vs PJ's I believe......but they do the same SAR mission. Hard troops. Big Brass ones !

[SirLurkedalot]

Amen!