USCG Ditches Dolphin during rescue
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USCG Ditches Dolphin during rescue
Two die, helicopter crashes into the water in boat rescue
Chris Durant and Shaun Walker
Eureka Times Standard
MANILA -- A mother and son from Eureka died Saturday afternoon when the boat they were in capsized. The Coast Guard helicopter that was trying to rescue them crashed into the surf.
The Humboldt County Coroner's Office identified the deceased as Vesta Lorraine Baker, 82, who died at the scene, and her son Charles Wayne Baker, 59, who was pronounced dead at the hospital. The name of the boat was the White Horse II. The other two people from the boat were taken to a hospital, while the three Coast Guard crew members in the helicopter apparently received only minor injuries.
A 911 call came into the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department shortly after 1 p.m., stating a boat had gotten too close to the breaking surf and capsized.
Deputies arrived on the scene shortly after the helicopter, which already had a rescue swimmer in the water. The swimmer had pulled a victim to the beach and was not in the helicopter at the time of the crash.
Deputy Roy Reynolds said he was helping to get one of the victims away from the surf when he looked up and saw the helicopter was down.
”I'm trying to drag a person to this beach and next thing I know the helicopter was in the water,” Reynolds said. It was upright at first, then a wave tipped it over, he said.
Others who were in the dunes nearby said they saw the helicopter hovering and then it was gone. They thought it landed.
The Coast Guard isn't commenting on what brought the helicopter down, but the crew is OK, according to Reynolds. They were able to get themselves out of the helicopter and to the beach.
”The Coast Guard just had scratches,” Reynolds said.
An investigation and clean-up team remained on the beach into the evening, when small debris could still be seen floating in the waves. Coast Guard personnel anchored the helicopter to the beach before the tide came in. A tow truck dragged the boat out of the surf zone and an excavator was being brought to the scene as the sun set.
Join Date: Oct 2002
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Well, glad the crew is safe at least. No news yet on the cause, but given the politics surrounding the upgrade program I'll bet there'll be a few Guard seniors relieved that this was a Bravo model rather than a Charlie bird...
I/C
I/C
Glad the crew is OK. Another reminder of the thin line between being a rescuer and a victim.
Just going from the pic I would speculate that it was an engine(s) failure in the hover with a controlled ditching followed by rotor shutdown before the a/c rolled onto its side.
The blade on view has no damage to it which would indicate either low or no RRPM when it contacted the water.
HF
The blade on view has no damage to it which would indicate either low or no RRPM when it contacted the water.
HF
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May be it was water in the fuel that stopped the engines?
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Hi Guys,
Lots of speculation l know, glad crew are ok sorry for people who lost there lives but do you think its possible it could have been a fenestron stall if they got too close to the surf????
Cheers
Deeko
Lots of speculation l know, glad crew are ok sorry for people who lost there lives but do you think its possible it could have been a fenestron stall if they got too close to the surf????
Cheers
Deeko
Thread Starter
This being a very small world we live in....what if we find out the copilot's lifevest straps snagged the Power Levers/Speed Selects/Throttles as he climbed into the cabin as he prepared to jump into the water in an attempt to swim to the remaining survivor who was floundering. The Rescue Swimmer was on the beach administering CPR perhaps.
Well Trained dedicated folks doing very challenging work....my hat is off to them!
Well Trained dedicated folks doing very challenging work....my hat is off to them!
Gatvol
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Sasless last sentence is pretty close. These guys do an amazing job and considering the conditions that they fly in NORMALLY, I think their accident rate is pretty low.
**** happens and Im sure they will review it untill all CG crew memorize the complete scenario.
As one who flys in the Caribbean, I am certainly glad to see them in the air...
**** happens and Im sure they will review it untill all CG crew memorize the complete scenario.
As one who flys in the Caribbean, I am certainly glad to see them in the air...
