ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – The Coast Guard is preparing to rescue the injured 2nd mate of the Greek flagged merchant vessel Aegean Angel approximately 500 miles northeast of Bermuda Friday.

Coast Guard watchstanders at the Coast Guard 5^th District were contacted Friday morning by the Minister of Citizen protection in Greece, who was requesting assistance in the rescue.

During a lull in heavy ocean conditions Thursday night, the Aegean Angel’s captain, 1st mate, and 2nd mate went out to investigate the integrity of the ship when it took a big wave, which killed the captain and the first mate and injured the 2nd mate.

A Coast Guard rescue helicopter crew and a C-130 airplane crew are scheduled to fly to Bermuda Friday before attempting the medevac Sunday.

HONOLULU – The Coast Guard is investigating the grounding of a passenger vessel in the vicinity of Lahaina Harbor, Maui at approximately 9 p.m. Thursday.

Watchstanders at Sector Honolulu were notified at approximately 7:30 p.m. that the crew of the Spirit of Lahaina, a 65-foot catamaran carrying 60 passengers, was navigating the vessel out from its harbor for a dinner cruise when it ran aground at approximately 5:30 p.m.

No injuries were reported and a Good Samaritan vessel evacuated all passengers. No pollution was observed as a result of the grounding. 

Crewmembers from Coast Guard Station Maui responded aboard a 45-foot Response Boat Medium and arrived on scene to monitor the situation.

A Coast Guard investigator from Marine Safety Team Maui is on scene. 

The cause of the grounding is under investigation.  

For more information on this news release contact the 14th Coast Guard District Public Affairs Office at 808-535-3230.

HONOLULU – The Coast Guard reminds mariners that red and orange flares are recognized as marine and aviation emergency signals, and are to be used only during emergency situations. If a flare is used in a non-emergency situation, or fired by mistake, it should immediately be reported to the Coast Guard to prevent assets and personnel from searching for someone who is not in distress.

Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector Honolulu suspended a search based on a report of two parachute flares seen in the vicinity west of Captain Cook, Big Island, Tuesday.

Watchstanders received a report of two flares at approximately 7 p.m. Monday. An aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point launched an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter and conducted a 35-minute search, followed by an hour-long search by a Coast Guard Auxiliary aircrew Tuesday morning. One fishing vessel was found in the search area, but showed no signs of distress. The search was suspended after no signs of any vessels in distress were seen or heard over the radio.

This was the third search in a series of flare reports within the past four days.

Thursday evening four orange flares were reported in the vicinity of Banyan Beach, south of Kailua-Kona, Big Island. This was later determined to be a false alert. 

Friday evening, the Coast Guard received a report of one red flare in the vicinity of Kailua-Kona, Big Island, prompting a three-hour air search with a helicopter and a fixed-wing airplane. No mariners were found in distress in this case, and only one vessel was located in the search area.

Title 14 U.S.C. 88 (c) makes it a class D federal felony, punishable up to 10 years imprisonment and/or a monetary fine, for anyone who knowingly and willfully communicates a false distress message to the Coast Guard or causes the Coast Guard to attempt to save lives and property when no help is needed.  The statute also provides for a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 and holds the individual liable for all costs the Coast Guard incurs as a result of the individual’s actions.

The cost of operating a Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter is approximately $9,855 per hour; the cost of operating an HC-130 Hercules aircraft is approximately $15, 202 per hour. In addition to the monetary cost, false alarms can also delay Coast Guardsmen and assets from responding to actual emergencies, should any arise.

For information on Coast Guard recognized distress signals, and boating safety, please follow these links:

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg5214/vds.asp

http://www.uscgboating.org/default.aspx

For more information on this news release contact Coast Guard Sector Honolulu at 808-842-2601.

Contact: Jetta Disco
(619) 247-2478

 SAN DIEGO – The Coast Guard suspended the search for a possible vessel that was reported taking on water a mile north of Point Loma, Calif., at 11:46 a.m., Thursday.

Since the initial call, Coast Guard surface and air assets, along with the San Diego Lifeguards, searched more than nine hours, covering 273 nautical miles.

Throughout Wednesday night, the Coast Guard Joint Harbor Operations Center (JHOC) issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast informing mariners of the distress call and asking them to notify the Coast Guard and lend assistance if they encountered the vessel.

Early Thursday morning a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew conducted searches along the shoreline and off the coast of Point Loma for any indication of a vessel or people in distress.

A local vessel salvage company received the original distress transmission and relayed the information to the JHOC at approximately 5 p.m., Wednesday. No further transmissions were received after the initial call.

Weather conditions offshore were favorable for the crew conducting the search with 20-knot winds, six-foot seas and 10 miles of visibility.

The Coast Guard is asking anyone who heard the Mayday transmission or has knowledge of an overdue vessel to contact the JHOC at (619) 278-7031.

PITTSBURGH — The U.S. Coast Guard is scheduled to establish a safety zone on the Allegheny River, Friday, in preparation for the First Night Pittsburgh.

The safety zone will extend the entire width of the river from mile marker 0.6, near the Roberto Clemente Bridge, to mile marker 0.8, near the Rachel Carson Bridge, from 5:30 p.m., until 6:45 p.m.

Mariners shall not enter into, depart from, or move within the safety zone unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Pittsburgh or a designated representative. All concerned mariners may contact the Coast Guard on the day of the event on VHF-FM Channel 16 for more information.

Contact: Jetta Disco
(619) 247-2478 

SAN DIEGO – Coast Guard and San Diego lifeguard units are currently searching for a possible vessel that is taking on water a mile north of Point Loma, Calif.

A local vessel salvage company notified the Joint Harbor Operations Center (JHOC) about 5 p.m., of a radio call they received stating a 20-foot pleasure craft with four people aboard was taking on water and were in need of help. The call stated there is one adult and three children aboard the boat in need. 

A Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter was launched from Coast Guard Sector San Diego, along with the Coast Guard Cutter Petrel, a 41-foot response boat, as well as several San Diego Lifeguard assets to search for the boaters. The JHOC has also issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast asking mariners in the area to notify the Coast Guard and lend assistance, if possible.

The assets are searching offshore in 30-knot winds, six-foot seas and 10 miles of visibility.

The Coast Guard Cutter Petrel is an 87-foot patrol boat homeported in San Diego.

Mariners are urged to take extreme caution when venturing out on the water this evening due to gale force winds and a high surf advisory, and are urged to check that all of their safety equipment is on board and in good condition before going underway. This includes a properly fitted personal flotation device for everyone aboard, navigation lights, distress signals and a fire extinguisher. Safety equipment requirements vary by size and type of vessel, for more information visit: http://www.uscgboating.org/.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The 17th Coast Guard District presents the top 5 operational videos for 2010 highlighting work done every day by Coast Guard men and women in Alaska.

Alaska’s top five videos:

1. http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=844088 — KODIAK, Alaska – The Coast Guard’s Civil Engineering Unit from Juneau and Controlled Demolition, Inc., brought down Alaska’s tallest structure at 1:30 p.m. April 28, 2010 in Port Clarence using controlled explosives.  Click the following link for more video of the demolition — http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=843290

2. http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=837550 — KODIAK, Alaska – The crew of a Kodiak-based MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter rescue four crewmen from the fishing vessel Northern Belle 50 miles south of Monatgue Island in the Gulf of Alaska April 20, 2010.

3. http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=812671 — KODIAK, Alaska – A Kodiak-based HC-130 Hercules aircraft crew conducts a radio drop to the crew of the sailing vessel California March 21, 2010.

4. http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1064720 — KODIAK, Alaska – The tug Tor Viking II tows the 738-foot cargo vessel Golden Seas to Dutch Harbor with the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley escorting 50 miles southwest of Dutch Harbor in the Pacific Ocean Dec. 5, 2010.

5. http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=960938 — POINT HOPE, Alaska – Four Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Kodiak personnel completed a build of the 15-foot Coast Guard aid to navigation tower four miles south of Point Hope Aug. 2, 2010, which is the only permanent Coast Guard aid to navigation tower north of the Arctic Circle.

Also in 2010, Coast Guard men and women in Alaska have saved 142 lives, assisted more than 800 mariners, saved more than $58,000,000 in property, conducted 445 fisheries boardings, 693 commercial fishing vessel safety boardings and trained more than 700 commercial fishermen on coldwater survival, damage control and maritime safety regulations.

Coast Guard crews responded to more than 100 pollution incidents across Alaska, working with state and federal agencies maintaining the state’s pristine environment. Alaska’s Coast Guard also serviced 649 maritime aids to navigation and worked together with the volunteer arm of the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, performing more than 1,000 vessel safety checks.

For more information or to arrange an interview with a Coast Guard responder in Alaska contact Petty Officer 1st Class David Mosley at 907-321-4510.

Contact: Jetta Disco
(619) 247-2478 

SAN DIEGO — The Coast Guard is urging mariners to exercise extreme caution when venturing on or near the water due to gale force winds and a high surf advisory through Thursday morning

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), this storm is expected to produce strong rip currents, strong alongshore current, waves washing over jetties and other low lying coastal structures around the time of high tide early Thursday morning.

A high surf advisory means that high surf will affect beaches in the advisory area producing rip currents and localized beach erosion. Surf heights are predicted to increase to six to 10 feet this evening along west facing beaches with gusts and wind chop to add more than three feet.

A gale warning remains in effect until 4 a.m. Thursday. Winds are expected to reach 25-30 knots with 50-knot gusts.

Mariners are urged to check that all of their safety equipment is on board and in good condition before going underway. This includes a properly fitted personal flotation device for everyone aboard, navigation lights, distress signals and a fire extinguisher. Safety equipment requirements vary by size and type of vessel, for more information visit: http://www.uscgboating.org/.

In addition to required distress signals, boaters are strongly encouraged to have a VHF marine radio on board to monitor weather conditions, communicate with other mariners and call for help in the event of an emergency.

Mariners are also advised to ensure their boat is properly secured at its slip, mooring or anchor, as boats may break free during the storm.

For the National Weather Service watches, warnings and advisories, click the following link: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/warnings.php?wfo=sgx

***Editor’s note: click on the map below to be linked to the National Weather Service interactive map.