CGC DOUGLAS DENMAN

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Search for missing people aborted

After 88 hours of searching over more than 850 nautical miles, the Coast Guard has suspended vessel relocation efforts in the afternoon of Jan 12 for an overturned vessel, pending the development of new information. A MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from the Coast Guard Air Station Sitka had rescued three people from an overturned vessel in the night of Jan 9, and conducted multiple searches for two remaining people into the morning of Jan 10. The survivors included Tyson Ross, Jason Ipock, and James Sturm. The Sitka Fire Department and Alaska State Troopers assisted in the search and located the two people deceased inside of the vessel’s cabin via an unmanned underwater drone in the afternoon of Jan 10. The crew of the 'Douglas Denman (WPC 1149)' maintained position alongside the overturned vessel until the night, when they were forced to seek safe harbor after the weather conditions deteriorated. Searches were conducted on Jan 11 with no results by both the ÄDouglas Denman' and an Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. An additional helicopter air crew searched on Jan 12, and again yielded no results in relocating the vessel.

Coast Guard responds to overturned boat

The US Coast Guard and partner agencies responded to an overturned vessel near Chichagof Island in the evening of Jan 9, 2024, Coast Guard watchstanders at the Sector Southeast Alaska command center received the initial notification of the overturned vessel from the Sitka Police Department at approximately 4:48 p.m. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter air crew from the Air Station Sitka launched to respond arrived on scene at 5:15 p.m., and recovered three people from the water at 5:50 p.m. They were taken to awaiting EMS at the Sitka airport. The Coast Guard Cutters 'Douglas Denman (WPC 1149)' and 'Kukui (WLB 203)' as well as an HC-130 from the Air Station Kodiak also responded in the night, tracked the vessel’s drift, and searched the area near the overturned vessel for two still missing people. Air Station Sitka conducted additional searches in the night and in the morning of Jan 10. The Sitka Fire Department arrived on scene with Alaska Wildlife Troopers in the early afternoon and deployed an unmanned underwater drone to find the two deceased in the cabin of the vessel. Recovery operations of the deceased people were to commence once on-scene conditions have improved. The weather on scene was reported as 8-10 knot winds, 9 foot seas, water temperature at 44 degrees, and air temperature at 31 degrees.

Helicopter crashed during assistance for distressed fishing vessel, Coast Guard Cutters assisted

The fishing vessel 'Lydia Marie' suffered a flooding on their vessel on Nov 13, 2023. A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter air crew from the Air Station Sitka crashed with four people aboard on Read Island during the following SAR mission in the night. Rescue crews from Alaska Wildlife Troopers and Petersburg Fire and Rescue arrived on scene on Nov 14 at approximately 12:50 a.m., and a second MH-60 Jayhawk air crew from Air Station Sitka arrived at approximately 1:39 a.m. Together, they provided preliminary medical care to two crew members who were reported to have sustained serious injuries. The four crew members were hoisted aboard the second Coast Guard helicopter and were transported to Petersburg for medical care. They were then transferred to Seattle via a C-130 Hercules aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak for a higher level of care. On-scene weather at the beginning of the oepration was reported with wind speeds at 28-34 miles per hour and seas at four to five feet. Upon arrival at the scene of the crash, a second Coast Guard MH-60 rescue helicopter reported wind speeds of 46 miles per hour, visibility at one-quarter of a mile, and seas at one to two feet.  Four people were confirmed aboard the 'Lydia Marie', and their initial call for assistance was transmitted on VHF-FM channel 16 Monday night at approximately 8:06 p.m.  The 'Elderberry (WLI-65401)' and the 'Douglas Denman (WPC 1149)' assumed responsibility for providing SAR assistance to the Lydia Marie and have established a security zone around the crash site and oversaw the de-watering of the fishing vessel. The 'Elderberry' escorted the vessel back to Petersburg. There, the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter 'Pike (WPB 87365)' conducted a post-search and rescue boarding with no violations, closing the original search and rescue case. The investigation into the cause of the helicopter crash was ongoing.