Coast Guard Rescue

Published on: December 16, 2025

Fire Aboard Fishing Vessel near Florida Coast

On Sunday, December 14th, 2025, a fisherman was rescued after his vessel caught fire approximately 100 miles west of Clearwater, Florida.

At 3:27 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard’s Southeast District was alerted by an emergency position radio beacon, prompting them to dispatch a Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter rescue team.

The fisherman abandoned the burning vessel and was located in a life raft near the site, where sea conditions measured 2 to 4 feet with winds of 14 knots. The U.S. Coast Guard dispatched a rescue swimmer and safely hoisted the fisherman at approximately 5:46 p.m.

Published on: November 18, 2025

Four Rescued from Sinking Vessel Near Grays Harbor, Washington

by Nigel Stacey

On Monday, November 17, 2025, four individuals were rescued near Grays Harbor, Washington, after their vessel began taking on water and was reportedly sinking.

The crew of a nearby good Samaritan F/V LADY NANCY pulled the individuals from the water and performed CPR on one person who was unresponsive. The U.S. Coast Guard later used a helicopter to hoist the group and transfer them to a hospital in Hoquiam, WA.

At least one person remained in serious condition after being transported to the hospital, and all were being treated for hypothermia.

Published on: November 11, 2025

Dual Engine Failure Turns into Five Day Ordeal for F/V Great Pacific

by Nigel Stacey

On October 27, 2025, the F/V GREAT PACIFIC, a 134-foot U.S. fishing trawler carrying five crew members, lost power approximately 100 miles south of Yakutat, Alaska. The vessel suffered a broken drive shaft, leaving it dead in the water and adrift in rough 30-foot seas.

The crew contacted the U.S. Coast Guard, which dispatched the USCGC JOHN WITHERSPOON to assist. On October 29^th, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter successfully took the disabled fishing vessel in tow. However, as the USCGC JOHN WITHERSPOON towed the F/V GREAT PACIFIC near Kayak Island, the Coast Guard cutter itself suffered a main engine failure. Unable to maintain the tow, the cutter was forced to release the tow line, leaving the F/V GREAT PACIFIC unmanned and adrift in the Gulf of Alaska.

All five crew members were evacuated by the U.S. Coast Guard, but the F/V GREAT PACIFIC drifted without anyone aboard for five days across the Gulf of Alaska. During this period, the Marine Exchange of Alaska operations center in Juneau monitored the vessel’s movements closely, tracking its position and alerting other ships around the drifting vessel.

Published on: October 14, 2025

Dozens Rescued from Flooded Alaska Villages

by Nigel Stacey

The U.S. Coast Guard is leading extensive search and rescue operations in two rural Alaska communities that have been devastated by severe flooding, with dozens already rescued and efforts continuing to locate three missing residents.

U.S. Coast Guard crews from Air Station Kodiak have successfully rescued 34 people from the flooded villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok in western Alaska. 18 residents were airlifted from Kwigillingok, while 16 were rescued from Kipnuk. All were in stable condition, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials.

Search efforts remain ongoing for three Kwigillingok residents who are still unaccounted for. A U.S. Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew covered 76 square miles in search operations on Sunday October 12^th, 2025, and resumed the search on Monday morning.

Published on: September 2, 2025

Coast Guard Suspends Search for Two Missing Individuals After Vessel Capsizes Near Gold Beach

by Nigel Stacey

The U.S. Coast Guard has ended its search for two individuals who were reported missing after a motorized catamaran capsized on Sunday night near Gold Beach, Oregon.

A third individual present on the catamaran was rescued and taken to Gold Beach for medical assessment by local emergency services. Reports indicated that all three people were wearing life jackets at the time of the incident.

At approximately 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, personnel at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River were notified by Curry County 911 of an overturned 26-foot catamaran located approximately four miles off the coast of Gold Beach.

Published on: July 22, 2025

Coast Guard Responds to F/V Navigator Fire, Sinking Off Santa Cruz

by Nigel Stacey

The U.S. Coast Guard, working with multiple partner agencies, responded to a boat fire and subsequent sinking approximately one mile off the shore of Santa Cruz early Wednesday morning on July 17^th, 2025. The F/V NAVIGATOR, a 45-foot vessel that had been fishing for squid, was at anchor when fire broke out onboard. The two fishermen aboard the vessel were rescued.

At 7:40 a.m., U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders received an urgent report that a 45-foot vessel was ablaze with two people on board. Watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast to alert mariners in the area. A boat crew from U.S. Coast Guard Station Monterey was deployed, and coordination efforts began with local partner agencies.

Agencies involved in the response included:

Published on: July 22, 2025

Injured Maritime Worker Medevaced to Honolulu

by Nigel Stacey

A 41-year-old crew member suffering from a fractured arm and possible head injury was successfully medevaced from a cargo ship located approximately 1,000 miles northeast of Oahu on July 19^th, 2025. The bold rescue, coordinated by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) Honolulu, brought the injured mariner to safety after a multi-day transit.

The incident began around 3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 17^th when JRCC Honolulu watchstanders received a call from Eastaway Ship Management. It was reported that a crew member aboard their 892-foot, Singapore-flagged cargo ship, the EA CHARA, had sustained a significant injury far out in the Pacific.

Following a consultation with a duty flight surgeon, who strongly recommended a medical evacuation, JRCC Honolulu established communication with the EA CHARA. This allowed them to monitor the patient’s condition as the cargo ship altered course and headed towards Oahu.

Published on: April 15, 2025

Three Rescued after Scallop Boat Capsizes

by Nigel Stacey

On April 11, 2025, a commercial scallop boat capsized near Green Island in Boston Harbor. A swift rescue and a coordinated environmental response began after the vessel started leaking fuel into area waters.

At 7:46 a.m., watchstanders at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Boston received a broken radio transmission from the F/V EILEEN RITA, a 90-foot vessel homeported in New Bedford, Massachusetts. They soon established communication with the captain, who confirmed the vessel had run aground on rocks near Green Island and was taking on water. The vessel began listing onto its side, prompting the three crew members to don survival suits and climb onto the gunwale, approximately 15 feet above the waterline while awaiting rescue.

Body camera footage released by police shows the crewmembers sliding down the side of the listing vessel and boarding a Boston Police boat. They were later evaluated by Boston EMS.

Published on: April 1, 2025

Air Station Sitka Helicopter Crew Rescues Woman from F/V Nekton

by Nigel Stacey

On March 26, 2025, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Sitka successfully conducted a medevac of a 37-year-old woman experiencing a medical emergency in Sitka Sound, Alaska. The woman, who was aboard the fishing vessel NEKTON, required immediate medical attention.

The aircrew responded swiftly to the distress call. After arriving on the scene, they skillfully maneuvered the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter above the fishing vessel to safely execute the hoist operation. Despite challenges posed by the weather and the vessel’s movements, the U.S. Coast Guard team efficiently transported the patient aboard the aircraft.

Following the successful hoist, the helicopter crew transferred the woman to awaiting local emergency medical personnel in Sitka. The patient received further evaluation and care upon arrival, highlighting the seamless collaboration between the U.S. Coast Guard and local emergency responders.

Published on: January 21, 2025

Fishing Vessel Tanusha Capsizes Near Kodiak

by Nigel Stacey

Watchstanders at the 17th Coast Guard District Command Center received a distress alert from the fishing vessel emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) at 9:48 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15^th from the F/V TANUSHA near Kodiak.

A helicopter aircrew was launched from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak and requested assistance from the Alaska State Troopers. The watchstanders also made attempts to contact vessels near the location of the distress signal via radio, but the two crewmembers abandoned ship after the F/V TANUSHA began taking on water approximately 23 miles southeast of Kodiak.

Crewmembers aboard the F/V VICTORY received the request for assistance and navigated toward the last known location of the distressed vessel and found the two fishermen in a life raft. The F/V TANUSHA had capsized.