Coast Guard Helicopter Crash

C

colobear

New member
A Coast Guard helicopter crashed at La Push on the Washington coast about 0930 this morning. News reports say it was in transit from its old base in North Carolina to Sitka Alaska after a stop at Astoria, Oregon. Crew of four from Sitka, two recovered alive, one reported dead, one, reported missing. The helicopter was the CG version of the Blackhawk. The CG protects us and is our rescuer when needed, we feel a special bond with them. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the crew and their families.
 
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the crew and their families.

And from us on the Right Coast as well. They responded to a boat crash here in the Rapahannock River a day ago and helped pull 9 out of the water. Unfortunately a 25 year old teacher lost her life when their 22 ft Chapparel hit a steel channel marker at 35 knots at 10PM. :unlove

Today, they were on the scene in minutes when a barge rolled over a DUCK tourist boat in Philadelphia dumping 37 in the water. Two still missing last I heard. Hope Westfield 11 is watching. (I know, I shouldn't have said that but I did!)

Charlie
 
Update, as heard on NPR News half an hour ago: only one survivor; helo apparently hit some power lines as it vectored near James Island, just off LaPush.

What a loss. We are pretty close to our Coasties here in Astoria.
 
The CG protects us and is our rescuer when needed, we feel a special bond with them. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the crew and their families.
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I second this. :cry: A dangerous job done by true professionals. May God have mercy on them.
 
The CG aviation community is small and very close. The last few years have not been kind to us. I have too many dead friends. Terrible. Just terrible.
 
416rigby":25d8tii0 said:
The CG aviation community is small and very close. The last few years have not been kind to us. I have too many dead friends. Terrible. Just terrible.
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On the other hand, without the constant training and attention to detail, I think fatalities would be far worse.

We watched a CG crewman on "After the Catch" (Deadliest Catch added feature) discussing Katrina rescues. What I learned was totally amazing. You guys are so well trained at your individual tasks, you can mix and match crewmembers and copters at will and get a consistently top performing crew!

I think he described his chopper crew as two pilots, one from Alaska and one from several states away, a chopper from "We didn't know where" and the rest of the crew literally strangers yet they made over 75 rescues during and after Katrina, while learning new techniques "on the job"!

Totally amazing.

I thought us Submariners were generally tight knit and well trained but my hat's off to the Coast Guard rescue crews.

Don ETCM(SS) USN ret DBF
 
My first thought, was that helo would have been out of Port Angeles, where our own 4l6rigby, Rick, might have been flying. Glad your still here Rick, and my hats off to the Coasties too, prayers for the families too.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Hey Rick! Glad to see you posting. You back on flight status?

Hope the southern noodle training comes in handy some day. :mrgreen: :beer

Byrdman
 
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