Last Week Was A Busy One For 129th Rescue Wing
Air National Guardsmen from 129th Rescue Wing launched a
search-and rescue-mission from Moffett Airfield the afternoon of
July 16 to save a fisherman experiencing a medical emergency aboard
a Canadian fishing boat off the coast of California.
Responding to a call from the Coast Guard District 11 Alameda,
an MC-130P Combat Shadow tanker met the 85-foot Ocean Marauder
fishing boat about 500 miles from Eureka, CA. During this initial
phase of the rescue operation, four specially trained pararescuemen
parachuted from the MC-130P to provide emergency medical treatment
to stabilize the patient. The four pararescuemen remained with the
patient overnight, while the MC-130P returned to Moffett.
Thursday morning, the 129th launched the second phase of the
rescue operation. Two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters and two MC-130P
tankers departed Moffett to pick up the patient and pararescuemen
from the Ocean Marauder. After locating the fishing boat, the
HH-60Gs hovered over the vessel to allow the pararescuemen and
patient to be hoisted safely into the helicopters.
The two HH-60G helicopters and crews were recalled from
firefighting operations in Chico and Ukiah. The 129th maintainers
worked diligently to convert the aircraft from firefighting to
rescue-ready.
While also being on search-and-rescue alert, helicopter crews
performed water-bucket suppression operations in Northern
California, dropping more than 150,000 gallons of water since July
3. The 129th Rescue Wing is the only rescue unit in the US Air
Force and Air National Guard qualified to fight fires.
"The 129th is the 'go-to' unit due to its specialized
capabilities in a wide range of environments, such as fires,
floods, earthquakes, combat, and civilian search and rescue," said
Air Force Lt. Col. Steve Butow, 129th Operations Group deputy
commander. "Seamlessly transitioning from firefighting duty
yesterday to the search-and-rescue mission today demonstrates our
keen ability to adapt, respond and save lives."
The rescue helicopter landed at the Regional Medical Center of
San Jose's heliport at about 5:20 pm Thursday. The 129th personnel
then transferred the patient to awaiting hospital staff.
This rescue brings the total number of people saved by 129th
Rescue Wing to 560. The unit's primary mission is to train and be
prepared to perform its federal mission of combat search and rescue
anywhere in the world. In addition, the unit also works closely
with the Coast Guard and various civil agencies on state
missions.
"The crews of the 129th Rescue Wing have done an outstanding
job," said Rear Adm. Craig Bone, commander of 11th Coast Guard
District in Alameda.
"When our rescue coordination center asked them to fly this
mission, the response was immediate and, as usual, effective. Amid
an already busy operational tempo supporting wildfire fighting and
other operations the 129th mounted a complex rescue operation
extending hundreds of miles offshore."
(Aero-News salutes USAF Capt. Alyson Teeter, who serves with
the California National Guard.)