BROWNSVILLE, Texas — The Coast Guard, along with the Cameron County Constables, South Padre Island Fire Department and the Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Division responded to multiple reports of vessels in distress late Monday night and early Tuesday morning. The vessels were Mexican-flagged fishing boats seeking safe harbor in the Port of Brownsville because of Tropical Storm Hermine.

A 33-foot Response Boat-Small and crew from Station South Padre Island were dispatched to assist the fishing vessel Cameron in the Brownsville Ship Channel near Port Isabel Monday evening. The Cameron was refloated by the incoming tide later in the evening.

The crew of a 33-foot Response Boat-Small from Station South Padre Island also responded to the report of two vessels aground approximately 200 meters from the South Padre Island jetties.  The fishing vessels Don Pesca 67 and Geraldo I remain grounded, and all 10 crewmembers were rescued and treated for minor injuries.

A beach rescue team from Station South Padre Island responded to the grounded fishing vessel Acer II early Tuesday morning. The vessel was drifting toward the beach and reported that the vessel's anchor was disabled north of the South Padre Island jetties. The Acer II's seven crewmembers and a dog were evacuated and treated for minor injuries.

An additional 50 to 70 Mexican-flagged fishing vessels sought safe harbor in the Port of Brownsville.

"The Coast Guard values training and our relationships with partner agencies. This was a good example of how that training pays off when it has to be put to use," said Lt. Mickey Lalor, commanding officer of Station South Padre Island.

ASTORIA, Ore. — Coast Guard Sector Columbia River and Air Station Astoria will host their annual open house event Saturday.

The open house, to take place at Sector Columbia River, will feature multiple events throughout the day including a search and rescue demonstration, children’s activities, several aircraft displays and multiple interactive exhibits. A small business and craft fair will also take place in the hangar to highlight contributions of local organizations to our community and allow local crafters to showcase their handiwork.

Snacks and drinks will be available throughout the day and, for early risers, a pancake breakfast will be served from 7-10 am.  Lunch will be sold from 11am to 2pm. All food proceeds will fund the Coast Guard Spouses Association’s (CGSAA)annual scholarship, Thanksgiving Basket Food Drive and children’s programs.

WHERE: Coast Guard Sector Columbia River 2185 SE 12th Place, Warrenton, Ore.

WHEN: Pancake Breakfast 7-10am, Open House officially begins at 9am and ends at 4pm.

Donations to the CGSAA for the day’s activities or any of the valuable programs it promotes can be made by contacting Emily Masri at thecgsaa@yahoo.com.

JUNEAU, Alaska - The Coast Guard Cutter Maple, homeported in Sitka, continues its voyage along the Pacific Northwest coast servicing vital aids to navigation.

The ship and crew have spent the last three weeks along the west coast repairing and replacing buoys vital to safe navigation.  The Maple’s crew has also spent several days with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration servicing scientific and weather data buoys more than 600 miles offshore.

“These buoys serve the mariners, their livelihoods and allow the safe movement of goods across the nation” said Lt. Cmdr. Dan Gray, commanding officer of the Maple.  “As global commerce grows the largest volume of goods still moves across the sea, which is why we need reliable buoys and beacons.”

The cutter Maple’s current mission has taken the ship and crew far from its normal operating area in Southeast Alaska due to many similar ships on the west coast having been deployed to the Gulf of Mexico to assist with oil skimming operations.  Typically the West Coast has five vessels capable of servicing buoys.  Currently there are only three due to the demand of the oil spill.

Cutter Maple is now off the Oregon coast in the area normally patrolled by the Coast Guard Cutter Fir which is based in Astoria, Ore.

The cutter Fir is currently in the Gulf of Mexico and expected to return home in the next few months.  Until then, the Maple’s crew is busy maintaining buoys near many of Oregon’s coastal communities.

“We are more than happy to backup our fellow buoy tenders wherever we are needed, though the crew is excited to return home to their families in Sitka later in the month,” said Gary.

 Commissioned on Oct. 19, 2001, cutter Maple is a 225-foot Juniper-Class buoy tender. The Maple is operated by seven officers and a crew of 46 men and women. To find out more information about the cutter Maple visit, http://www.uscg.mil/d17/cgcmaple/.

WASHINGTON — One of the Coast Guard’s most senior African American female officers added another accolade to an already accomplished career when she was honored as one of six people recognized at the ESPN’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference/Southwestern Athletic Conference Challenge Legends Reception in Orlando, Fla., Saturday.

Lt. Cmdr. Zeita Merchant, a Coast Guard congressional fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives, joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Mel Blount, Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams, author Omar Tyree, Kellogg’s senior vice president of Global Nutrition/Corporate Affairs Celeste Clark, and former NFL linebacker and seven-time Pro Bowl player Robert Brazile at the annual reception that honors individuals who graduated from a Historically Black College or University. Each honoree received an HBCU Trailblazer Award in recognition of the impact made in his or her respective career and community.

“It was truly a blessing and humbling experience to be selected as a trailblazer and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some true legends,” said Merchant, a graduate of Jackson, Mississippi’s Tougaloo College. “I think it is an honor to be personally recognized for my accomplishments; furthermore, it is a great opportunity to showcase the Coast Guard, our missions and the diversity of the service.”

Merchant, who completed her undergraduate schooling by way of the Coast Guard’s College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative scholarship program, participates in ongoing and extensive outreach with HBCUs. Most notably, her work as a CSPI Ambassador at Spelman College, helped the Coast Guard received its first HBCU Top Supporter Award in 2010.

A community leader and volunteer, Merchant has organized numerous community service initiatives such as the RIPPLE Institute, whose mission is to offer youth an opportunity to learn the skills needed to compete in the 21st-century workforce.  She also serves on the executive boards of the National Council of Negro Women’s Women of Defense and the National Association of African Americans in the Department of Homeland Security. She is an active participant in the Congressional Black Caucus, the National Society of Black Engineers, and the Coast Guard Commandant’s Diversity Advisory Council.

Merchant has earned both a Master of Quality Systems Management from the National Graduate School and a Master of Public Administration in Environmental and Emergency Management from George Washington University here.  She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Business Administration and is on track to earn the Ph.D. in summer 2011.

“My dictum is ‘true leadership is servanthood,’” said Merchant. “My true passion is to educate and help others. This was a unique opportunity where I got recognized for doing what I love. It is a humbling experience and truly a blessing.”

VENICE, La. - Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Dorina Goetz, a yeoman stationed at Sector Puget Sound, Wash., processes paperwork in the demobilization unit at the Deepwater Horizon Response Plaquemines Branch Aug. 30, 2010. Goetz served as the demobilization unit leader for the Plaquemines Branch and completed a 50-day deployment for the response. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Charly Hengen.

SEATTLE – U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Dorina Goetz, of Portland, Ore., recently returned from the Deepwater Horizon Response efforts in the Gulf of Mexico.

During her 50 days supporting the response, Goetz, a yeoman currently assigned to Sector Puget Sound, Wash., worked as a demobilization unit leader for the Plaquemines Branch in Venice, La.

“Every morning I was responsible for demobilizing personnel from the Venice, La. Forward Operating Base, including processing checkout sheets, communicating with the Incident Command Post in Houma, La. and the New Orleans Unified Area Command, and forwarding all information to the Houma Demobilization Unit,” said Goetz.  “I also maintained all the personnel numbers on a spreadsheet and briefed the Venice command regarding personnel needs and concerns.” 

Goetz joined more than 40,000 people from numerous federal, state and local agencies, volunteer, academic and industry groups that quickly banded together in a matter of weeks into a force nearly the size of the entire Coast Guard to protect and serve the people and environment of the Gulf.

At the height of the response 47,849 people, 123 aircraft and 8,044 vessels were deployed to collect, burn and disperse oil as well as protect sensitive shoreline, cleanup oil impacted areas, and monitor for the health and safety of people in the region.

For additional information on the response to the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill visit:

www.Deepwaterhorizonresponse.com; www.restorethegulf.gov or call the Joint Information Center at (713) 323-1670.

HOUSTON - Coast Guard Air Station Houston medevaced a man from a tank ship approximately 57 miles off the Galveston coast, Tuesday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston received a call at approximately 5:35 a.m. from a crewmember aboard the Greek flagged tank ship Delta Tolmi, reporting a 34-year old male aboard was experiencing acute abdominal pain.  An Air Station Houston MH-65C Dolphin helicopter and crew was launched to the ship's reported position.  The Dolphin helicopter crew hoisted the man and transported him to Ellington Field to an awaiting EMS crew.

The man was taken to Southeast Regional Hospital in Houston. His condition is unknown.

Click here for video footage of the medevac.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –  Coast Guard rescue crews ended their search Monday afternoon for two overdue Guayama fishermen following their rescue by a Good Samaritan, approximately two nautical miles south from the entrance of Guayama Bay, Puerto Rico.

The rescued fishermen are Guayama residents, Andrés Vázquez and Victor Carrasiquillo, who reportedly were wearing their lifejackets and dehydrated when they were rescued from the water, after their 19-foot wooden fishing vessel reportedly sank off the coast of Guayama. 

“This is a great case of how safe boating practices and the actions of a selfless mariner and a caring brother combined to help save two lives,” said Cmdr. James Sutton, Sector San Juan chief of response.  “The fishermen increased their survival probabilities by using their lifejackets, while the brother of the fisherman who reported the incident and the Good Samaritan proved to be critical in rescuing and delivering the fishermen to safety.”

The Good Samaritan transferred the fishermen to awaiting Puerto Rico Police in Guayama, who in turn, transported them to the hospital to receive further medical care.

Coast Guard Watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a telephone call Monday morning from the 911 emergency operator, who relayed a report from the brother of one of the fishermen stating the men departed at 2 p.m. Sunday from Puerto de las Mareas in Guayama, Puerto Rico. The men reportedly did not return from their fishing trip at midnight when they were expected to arrive.   

Coast Guard rescue crews aboard an a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station Miami and a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Borinquen, Aguadilla searched approximately 500 square nautical miles for the rescued fishermen.  Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action and Puerto Department of Environmental and Natural Resources rescue crews were also involved in the search.

Boating and Water Safety Tips:

• Check the weather before casting off and monitor the weather by radio continuously. 
• It is recommended that everyone always wear a life jacket when in the water, but at a minimum have a properly fitting life jacket for every person on board and ensure that they are quickly accessible.  Often, when trouble happens, it happens fast. 
• Know the boat you are on, including the location and operation of all safety gear, including a VHF-marine radio.  This is especially true if renting or borrowing a boat that you may not be familiar with.  
• Do not rely on cell phones as a primary means of distress communication.  Coverage is unreliable and communications are only point-to-point, limiting the chances of a Good Samaritan coming to your aid and if you get cut-off the call may not be reestablished.  Radio is your best bet to communicate trouble and get help to you quickly.   
• A float plan should be prepared and shared with friends and family. That will give them an idea of where you are going and when you will return home. The float plan has all pertinent information about your boat, increasing your chances of being rescued. You can download a float plan at:  http://www.floatplancentral.org/ and http://www.floatplancentral.org/download/USCGFloatPlan.pdf.
• You can also contact the Coast Guard Auxiliary for a free vessel safety check log on to www.vesselsafetycheck.org and click on "I Want a VSC" to find a Vessel Examiner near you.
• Taking a safe boating class arms you with valuable information. For a boating safety class with the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Puerto Rico you may call 787-383-9717.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Coast Guard rescue crews are searching Monday for two fishermen reportedly overdue aboard 19 foot-wooden-blue fishing vessel (yola) off the southeastern coast of Guayama, Puerto Rico.

The missing fishermen are residents of Guayama, Puerto Rico.

Coast Guard Watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a telephone call Monday morning from the 911 emergency operation, who relayed a report from the brother of one of the fishermen stating the men departed at 2 p.m. Sunday from Puerto de las Mareas in Guayama, Puerto Rico. The men reportedly did not return from their fishing trip at midnight when they were expected to arrive.   

Searching are:

• A rescue aircrew aboard a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station  Miami.

• A rescue crew aboard a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the missing men is requested to contact the Coast Guard Sector San Juan Command Center at 787-289-2041.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Coast Guard rescue crews at Sector San Juan ended their search Monday morning in Mona Passage waters for a missing crewman aboard the 498-foot Panamanian cargo vessel Crown Topaz. 

The Coast Guard launched a multi-day search for the 27-year-old man after Coast Guard Watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a call at 9 a.m. Saturday from the Crown Topaz reporting the incident.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of the missing mariner," said Captain Eduardo Pino, Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander.

The crewmen aboard the Crown Topaz reported last seeing the mariner at 11 p.m. Friday and they noticed he was missing when he did not report to his watch at 7 a.m. Saturday.

The Crown Topaz was en route to Portugal from Costa Rica transiting the Mona Passage east of Isla Saona, Dominican Republic and around the northwest coast of Puerto Rico at the time the mariner went missing.

Since the search began Saturday, Coast Guard rescue crews searched approximately 3,830 square nautical miles, an area approximately the size of Puerto Rico, aboard surface and air assets, including MH-65 Dolphin helicopters from Air Station Borinquen, Aguadilla, an HC-144A Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station Miami,  Coast Guard Cutter’s Cushing and Reef Shark and Coast Guard Auxliary aircraft. 

Coast Guard Cutter’s Cushing and Reef Shark are 110-foot and 87-foot patrol boats respectively home ported in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Coast Guard is investigating a parasailing accident that occurred in the vicinity of Pier 60 near Clearwater Beach., Sunday.

Watchstanders and Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., received several reports at approximately 3 p.m., from third-party 911 relays, of a parasailing vessel that lost its parasail with two persons attached, causing the passengers to be injured when they landed on the beach.

Good Samaritans on the beach contacted local emergency medical personnel who arrived on scene to treat the two individuals. One individual was treated and released while the other was taken to Bay Front Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Fla.

A 25-foot small resonse boat crew from Coast Guard Station Sand Key, Fla., was launched at approximately 3:15 p.m., to intercept the parasailing vessel, which is owned by the Sky Screamer Parasailing Company, located in Clearwater.

Boast crew members from Coast Guard Station Sand Key located the vessel at Clearwater Municipal Marina.

Members from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Pinellas County Sheriff's Department and Clearwater Police Department are assisting the Coast Guard in the investigation.

Editor's Note: To view and download Coast Guard rescue footage, please click on the above image. 

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Coast Guard rescued seven people approximately 25-miles off the coast of Charleston Sunday morning.

Rescued were four adults and three children.

All seven people were aboard a 38-foot powerboat that began sinking after the engine compartment flooded. All seven boaters abandoned ship and all were wearing lifejackets. The Coast Guard was initially notified Saturday at 10 p.m. from the wife of the boat owner to report that they were overdue. 

Two Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crews from Air Station Savannah, Ga., and Air Facility Charleston searched throughout the night and one rescue swimmer, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Booher, in coordination with both helicopters rescued all seven people.  The rescue crews located the missing boaters at 6:02 a.m. 25-miles east of Charleston. All seven survivors were transported to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston where they were evaluated. 

"We were in the air for six hours by the time our flight mechanic spotted them in the moonlight," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Booher, an aviation survival technician with Coast Guard Air Station Savannah. "The front of the boat was sticking in the air about four feet and they were clinging to a cooler. They had no lights, no signaling device, no EPIRB and no radio." 

The missing boaters were in the water for approximately 20 hours. 

"We were approaching our final search pattern before we would have to return to base," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Ben Rosen, an aviation electronics technician. "I had a lucky glimpse of what appeared to be a debris field. We turned around and determined it was in fact the missing boaters." 

This was Rosen's first ever rescue in his four year career. "It's pretty awesome to find them and bring them back safe," said Rosen. 

Also assisting with the search was a C-130 air crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., and the crew of the Charleston based 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin.

Editor's Note: Video of the rescue will be made available soon. In the meantime, all media are requested to contact Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Evanson at (305) 213 - 9235 for more information. 

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Coast Guard rescued 7 people 30-miles off the coast of Charleston Sunday morning.

Rescued were 4 adults and 3 children.

All 7 people were aboard a 38-foot powerboat that had capsized. The Coast Guard was notified at 10 p.m. Saturday from the wife of the boat owner who indicated that the boat was overdue. 

Two Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crews from Air Station Savannah, Ga., hoisted all 7 people after locating them at 6:02 a.m. 30-miles east of Charleston. All 7 survivors are being transported to the Medical University of South Carolina where they will be evaluated. 

The capsized powerboat was located submerged in the vicinity of the rescue location. The cause of the accident is unknown at this time. 

Also assisting with the search was a C-130 air crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., and the crew of the Charleston based 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin.

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Coast Guard has suspended the search pending the development of new information for a missing swimmer off the coast of Hunting Island Beach in Beaufort, S.C. 

Missing is Joseph Scott, 31. 

The Coast Guard assisted the Beaufort Sheriff's Department with the search.  At approximately 4:20 p.m. Saturday, five people were swimming together at Hunting Island Beach and reported that the missing swimmer did not surface after going under the water. 

A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crew from Air Station Savannah, Ga., and a 25-foot rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Tybee Island, Ga., were involved in the search. 

The Coast Guard reminds the boating public and beachgoers to monitor coastal and offshore weather conditions prior to swimming and boating offshore. 

The greatest safety precaution that can be taken is to recognize the danger of rip currents and always remember to swim at beaches with lifeguards. The Coast Guard recommends swimmers and surfers avoid beaches where lifeguards are not on duty.

To monitor present conditions of local beaches, please click here: http://www.ripcurrents.noaa.gov/forecasts.shtml

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Coast Guard and local law enforcement are searching for a missing swimmer off the coast of Hunting Island Beach in Beaufort, S.C. 

Missing is Joseph Scott, 31. 

The Coast Guard is assisting the Beaufort Sheriff's Department with the search.  At approximately 4:20 p.m. Saturday, five people were swimming together at Hunting Island Beach and reported that the missing swimmer did not surface after going under the water. 

A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crew from Air Station Savannah, Ga., and a 25-foot rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Tybee Island, Ga., are searching. 

SEATTLE – The Coast Guard rescued two people from the life boat of a sailing vessel in the Juan De Fuca Strait at approximately 9:15 p.m., Friday.

The two men entered the the lifeboat of the 26-foot sailing vessel Pia, near Smith Island, Wash., after the vessel was beset by inclement weather.

The crew contacted the U.S. Coast Guard by VHF marine band radio stating that they were in distress.  The Coast Guard launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, Wash.  Once on scene, the helicopter crew deployed a rescue swimmer and hoisted the two men into the helicopter using a rescue basket. The men were transported back to Port Angeles with no reported injuries.

Both men were wearing lifejackets when they were recovered by the Coast Guard.

The sailing vessel is adrift in Juan De Fuca Strait with no personnel on board and the Coast Guard is issuing periodic radio broadcasts warning mariners of the navigational hazard. The owner will hire a commercial salvage company to recover the vessel if possible when weather conditions improve.

For more information please contact Coast Guard Public Affairs at (206) 220-7237.

KEY WEST, Fla. – Coast Guard and oil spill contractors safely removed oil from the 49-foot pleasure craft vessel LISERN II Friday that ran aground Sunday on Grecian Rocks in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Due to inclement weather from Hurricane Earl, the oil removal and salvage process was initially delayed. After the weather improved Friday morning, the Coast Guard began removing oil from the vessel to prevent any pollution that may occur during the salvage operation.

The Coast Guard and an oil spill contractor collected over 600 gallons of oil from the vessel. There was no evidence of any oil in the water, or any breach in the hull. The oil was taken to land where it will be disposed of properly. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is working with the boat owner to contact a salvage company to remove the vessel.

Aircraft and vessels from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Coast Guard Auxiliary continue to monitor the vessel. No discharges of oil have been observed.

NEW ORLEANS - A light rainbow sheen was reported in the vicinity of the Vermillion oil platform by the crew of a Coast Guard helicopter following a Friday morning overflight. The residual sheen, about a hundred yards long by ten yards wide, is believed to be petroleum runoff caused by fire-fighting efforts.

Federal investigators from BOEM are on the platform to investigate, confirm the source of the sheen and verify that the flow of oil to the platform remains secured.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Click here for a photo of the overflight.

SEATTLE – The U.S. Coast Guard medically evacuated a male from the tug boat Swinomish at 6:19 p.m., Thursday.

The 57-year-old male was transferred to Emergency Medical Services in Port Townsend, Wash.

Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a call for assistance from the Swinomish at 5:15 p.m., stating they had a ill crewman that needed to be transported for medical purposes.  Coast Guard Station Port Angeles, Wash., dispatched a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew to transfer the ill passenger from the 68-foot tug boat to awaiting EMS at Point Hudson marina in Port Townsend. 

For more information please contact District 13 Public Affairs at (206) 220-7237.