image from pete's iphone on the day of the case described below.
I'm not one to really talk about my job, however at the wife's request I figured I'd help out and do a post for the blog. I've been in the Coast Guard for the past 5 years. I started out in the west coast aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Chase out of Naval Base San Diego. The Chase's main mission was drug interdiction patrols by running the Pacific from South and Central America up to the Baja Peninsula. I had a blast out there, but you can't stay out to sea forever.
I left the Chase in late summer 2009 for Station Sandy Hook, NJ located directly south of NYC lower harbor. Sandy Hook's mission was completely different than the Cutter i was used to being on. We currently conduct ports, waterways, and coastline security patrols daily around important infrastructure in the New York City area. We also work closely with local authorities, National Park Service, and wildlife, fish, and game. Lastly, Sandy Hook's main mission is maritime Search and Rescue & the station remains on the original grounds of the U.S. Life Saving Station Number 1. Search and Rescue, and operating my own 47ft motor life boat, is why I joined the Coast Guard to begin with. Over the past three years in Sandy Hook, I've been lucky enough to be involved with some great people and take part in Station Sandy Hook's long Search and Rescue history.
There have been countless great cases that I could share with you, and maybe one day I'll sit down and share them all with someone, however today I'll just go over one of our more recent ones. While on duty last Monday we received a call from Sector New York's command center that there was a crew member aboard the Nord Inspiration out of Panama that was coughing up blood and possibly suffering from other symptoms related to extremely high blood pressure. After gathering all of the pertinent information on the crewman and vessel, my crew made preparations to get under and head 16 miles off shore to Ambrose Anchorage where the Nord Inspiration was awaiting our assistance. The crew I was running with on this particular day was one I couldn't have hand picked better myself. As the coxswain in charge, your crew can make or break you on a case and can definitely take stress of your back if you're with guys you trust. This particular day I was running with my engineer MK2 Nick Sherman who has 6 years of station experience, crewman/engineer MK3 Josh Kitson who I've worked with closely over the past year, and "break-in" crew member FN Zach Pappa who is 3 weeks removed from boot camp. As we headed underway we new we would be in for at least a 40 minute run to Ambrose due to 4-6 ft swells, 20+ kts of wind, and "pea soup" fog. We arrived on scene with Nord Inspiration in just under 40 minutes, made contact with the Captain, and began procedures to disembark their sick crew member immediately. As we approached the starboard side, we were riding the 4-6 foot waves up the side of the Nord Inspirations Hull. The crew on board the N.I. lowered there accommodation ladder and Jacob's ladder against the hull, and the sick crewman began his climb down to our boat some 40 ft below. After a seamless transfer to our boat, I made the call to return to base and bring the man to the EMS waiting on the pier. After the 30 minute run back to the station, we safely transferred the man to the National Park Service EMS, moored our boat, and returned to the station crews lounge to await news on the gentleman's condition. After 15 minutes, we received a call that the guy had been in stage 2/severe hypertension and if had we been 10 minutes longer, his organs may have begun to fail or he could have suffered a brain aneurysm.
You don't always realize how crazy situations are until there over. Even though for my crew, it's all in a days work, anytime you go home after a duty cycle and think back to yourself that some guy, who's name you don't even know, is alive today because of your boat crews quick actions and assertiveness... it is pretty cool. I know the Coast Guard isn't always viewed in the highest light, but trust me I work with a great group of guys that I would do anything for and I know they'd do anything for me.
*A big thank you to my amazing husband for this write up. i think his job is so interesting & satisfying & i hope you enjoyed a quick preview of his job :) after they saved this man, pete was interviewed & featured in an article... if you want to check out the Coast Guards official Press Release on the case, click here.
