On October 24, 2023, the United States Coast Guard was informed about an 86-year-old sailor who had encountered problems during a long maritime journey from Astoria, Oregon to Pago Pago in American Samoa. This sailor had not been in contact with anyone since August 20, and concerns about his condition had increased.
Alert Received from the Sailor's Boat
On October 26, the United States Coast Guard received an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) alert from the sailor's boat, named Willow Wind. In response to this alert, two search planes and a Coast Guard ship named USCGC Robert Ward were dispatched for the search. One of the search planes located the boat that same night, and a commercial ship named PCTC Grand Orion changed course towards the boat and arrived there at 03:20 AM on October 27.
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Efforts to Rescue the Sailor
The conditions at the search site were so difficult that rescuing the sailor was not possible on the morning of October 27. Therefore, the Grand Orion remained on site until the seas calmed down. Around 5:30 PM, the crew of the ship managed to reach the Willow Wind and rescued the sailor along with his dog. The sails of the boat were damaged, and Grand Orion left the boat as it was.
On Thursday morning, the Grand Orion reached a distance that was accessible for helicopter flights to the California coast, and the Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter crew flew to meet the ship. The Jayhawk crew transported the survivor to the shore and delivered him to the San Diego Coast Guard base, where he was taken to a nearby hospital for examination.
Commander Jason Nguyen, head of the Southwest Region Command Center of the Coast Guard, stated: "This incident highlights the importance of carrying emergency communication equipment and establishing a float plan to inform those on shore. We appreciate the coordinated efforts of the commercial sailors and the Coast Guard crew that led to this successful search."
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