Led by Lieutenant Commander, Clayton “Hoss” Hunt, the Grey Knight Aircrew of Patrol Squadron Forty Six took off early in the morning on Friday, August 1st expecting to execute a routine training mission off of the Washington coast. However, they would soon be administering critical guidance in the rescue of the Ruby Lily, a 50-foot fishing vessel that rapidly sank two hours after dawn with its sole occupant now stranded in his life raft. The survivor, 132 miles from shore hailed the Coast Guard requesting immediate assistance to safely return to land. Fortunately, the vigilant P-8A Poseidon crew was already on site and prepared to respond.
Throughout the evolution, the Grey Knights coordinated with two other aircraft from their sister squadron, the Golden Eagles of VP-9 to locate the small orange life raft and safely complete the rescue. After some coordination, the stranded survivor ignited an emergency smoke, and the Grey Knight Aircrew descended and located the raft. With the raft in sight, the Grey Knight aircrew assumed responsibility as the Scene of Action Commander and coordinated with the United States Coast Guard to facilitate the next steps for rescue. Vectored into position by the Grey Knight Aircrew, a USCG rescue helicopter arrived on scene a short time later.
The fast reaction time of both the Navy and Coast Guard is a testament to the training and overall expertise embodied in each and every service member. Despite planning for and expecting a routine training mission, the VP-46 aircrew was prepared to transition into action and put their training to task in a real-world scenario. Lieutenant Alan Osborn, VP-46 Patrol Plane Pilot on scene, stated that “It was great to see multiple squadrons provide quick and efficient support to people in need. A testament to our training and the professionalism with which we serve.”
With the moniker of “The Oldest and the Best,” The VP-46 Grey Knights recently returned from a seven-month deployment conducting anti-submarine warfare operations in the FIFTH and SIXTH fleet Areas of Responsibility. VP-46 is homeported at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington with a detachment to Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. They continue to prove the multi-mission capability of the P-8A Poseidon around the world.
Date Taken: | 08.23.2021 |
Date Posted: | 08.23.2021 12:16 |
Story ID: | 403728 |
Location: | OAK HARBOR, WA, US |
Web Views: | 1,257 |
Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Semper Paratus: VP-46 Training Flight Turned Rescue Mission, by PO1 Austin Ingram, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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