'Oosterdam' pax medevaced

[jleq]

http://www.cbs8.com/global/story.asp?s=11550631

[IRL_Joanie]

Thank you for the info. I will pray he continues to improve.

 

Joanie

[brucory]

We were alerted about this evacuation by the Captain about an hour before it happened.

 

Everyone was asked to clear the decks and the viewing areas. Despite the Captain asking explicitly that flash photography not be used, there were people hanging over their balconies taking photos with their flash on.

 

The bow cam was on and it was clear that the coast guard people know their stuff as it seemed very challenging, as the sea was quite rough.

 

There was a round of applause in the dining room when an announcement was made that the evacuation was safely completed and best wishes went out to the evacuee and his family....

[Mpowered]

Hooray for the U.S. Coast Guard! Woo hoo! Semper Paratus!

 

Oops. Sorry.

 

Joan

[Krazy Kruizers]

Hope that person is doing all right by now.

On our Nov 3 cruise we also had some excitement. We slept through it. We had been to HMC on the 14th. In the wee hours of the 15th we had to head back to the Bahamas where a Coast Guard chopper met us to evacuate a passenger. As a result we were 3 hours late getting to Aruba.

Then on the disembarkation morning we heard the Bright Star announcement to get to cabin 5171. Within minutes the Ft Lauderdale ambulance and fire department were there and rushing onto the ship.

Have no idea what happened to either person.

[TiogaCruiser]

What do they mean the c130 was supposed to do? "cover" from what? And how could it get off san Diego from Sacramento so fast???

[garydm]

The C 130s are based at the former McClelland AFB in Sacramento. They are constantly in the air along the west coast. I believe one heads towards Alaska and returns each day. We see them daily taking off and landing.

 

Unfortunately, it was one of these C 130s that collided with a military helicopter off SoCal a month or so ago, killing all onboard as they searched for someone in a small skiff heading I think to Catalina.

 

Gary

[Sunshine91]

The C-130 is there to provide cover - backup or support. If the helo had experienced any problems, the plane was been there to provide assistance in any way. The C-130 was likely already in the air & fairly close by flying patrols.

[Copper10-8]

What do they mean the c130 was supposed to do? "cover" from what? And how could it get off san Diego from Sacramento so fast???

 

A third reason the HC-130 is up there is that it has a much longer "loiter time" than the Jayhawk (or Dolphin) helo's the USCG uses, so they also act as an "on scene arial command and control post" during rescues.

Those Coasties do great work, frequently putting their own lives in danger, sometimes with fatal results as referred to by Garydm in the incident where a USCG C-130 from Sacramento/McClellan collided in mid-air with a USMC Cobra helo from Camp Pendleton and nine servicemen and women lost their lives.

[TiogaCruiser]

Thanks guys- Makes sense now!

 

 

John, how is the cruise- are you back yet?

[Copper10-8]

Thanks guys- Makes sense now!

 

 

John, how is the cruise- are you back yet?

 

Yes Sir - since 1200/Noon today - already miss the Zaandam!:(

[HWY 101]

This incident happened early this morning or yesterday.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=620002700.blog

[Copper10-8]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A gathering of more than 2,000 at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento helped honor the legacies of seven Coast Guardsmen and two Marines who are still missing after a Coast Guard C-130 and Marine Corps AH-1W helicopter collided off the coast of San Clemente Island, Calif., Oct. 30.

 

The service featured remarks by Air Station Sacramento's commanding officer, Capt. J.J. O'Connor, the commandant of the Coast Guard, Adm. Thad Allen, and the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Master Chief Petty Officer Charles "Skip" Bowen.

 

The service also included a memorial meditation and prayer, a rifle salute, the playing of taps, and a flyover by a Coast Guard HH-65 and a Coast Guard C-130.

 

 

 

 

A Coast Guard Petty Officer above left makes final preparations to the front stage for the memorial ceremony at Air Station Sacramento.

 

 

Capt. James J. O'Connor above right, Commanding Officer of Air Station Sacramento, remembers and honors the seven crewmembers of CG 1705 and two marines who were involved in last week's midair collision, during a memorial service at Air Station Sacramento, Nov 6, 2009.

 

 

The U.S. Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard prepares to fold the National Ensign during a memorial service, Nov 6, 2009, remembering and honoring the seven crewmembers of CG 1705 from Air Station Sacramento and the two marines involved in last week's midair collision.

 

 

 

Capt. James J. O' Connor, Commanding Officer of Air Station Sacramento, accepts the National Ensign from a member of the Ceremonial Honor Guard following a memorial service for the seven crewmembers of CG 1705 and the two marines involved in last week's midair collision.

 

 

The Coast Guard Honor Guard Rifle Squad stands by as an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Humboldt Bay flies by the memorial ceremony at Air Station Sacramento

 

The crew members from the Coast Guard C-130 are:

 

Lt. Cmdr. Che J. Barnes, age 35, Capay, Calif., Aircraft Commander.

 

Lt. Adam W. Bryant, age 28, Crewe, Va., Co-Pilot.

 

Chief Petty Officer John F. Seidman, age 43, Stockton, Calif., Flight Engineer.

 

Petty Officer 2nd Class Carl P. Grigonis, age 35, Mayfield Heights, Ohio, Navigator.

 

Petty Officer 2nd Class Monica L. Beacham, age 29, Decaturville, Tenn., Radio Operator.

 

Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason S. Moletzsky, age 26, Norristown, Pa., Air Crew.

 

Petty Officer 3rd Class Danny R. Kreder II, age 22, Elm Mott, Texas, Drop Master.

 

All are stationed at Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento, Calif., where their aircraft was based.

 

The crew members from the Marine Corps helicopter are:

 

Maj. Samuel Leigh, age 35, Kennebec, Maine.

 

1st Lt. Thomas Claiborne, age 26, Douglas, Colo.

 

Both were stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA and belonged to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is headquartered in Miramar, Calif.

[Sunshine91]

Thanks John, for posting the article & pix. I have to admit, tho, that seeing the C-130 painted in the bright Coastie colors was a bit of a shock. I'm used to the grey or green paint of the USAF planes:

 

 

My daddy is a retired USAF navigator. Early in his career he flew C-141s & C-130s. At Dover AFB, about 45 minutes north of where I now live, there are C-5s & C-17s - both very LARGE planes that we'll sometimes see flying up & down the coast.

[Copper10-8]

Thanks John, for posting the article & pix. I have to admit, tho, that seeing the C-130 painted in the bright Coastie colors was a bit of a shock. I'm used to the grey or green paint of the USAF planes:

 

My daddy is a retired USAF navigator. Early in his career he flew C-141s & C-130s. At Dover AFB, about 45 minutes north of where I now live, there are C-5s & C-17s - both very LARGE planes that we'll sometimes see flying up & down the coast.

 

Nice pic, Susan!

Here's another pair of 'Hercs' from Marine Corps Squadron VMGR-352 "Raiders" out of Miramar, CA

 

[Bill S]

We witnessed a similar medevac on the Ryndam several years ago, while enroute back to San Diego from the Mexican Riviera. The "Coasties" are true pros and made the evac look easy.

[Mpowered]

Copper10-8: Thank you so much for posting the article and the photos. It's very sad. My dad served in the USCG, and I have great respect and pride for what they do. I have my dad's love for the ocean, and I hope he and I can cruise together sometime before he's gone.

 

Semper Paratus! :-)

 

Joan