Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Austin Ingram | 210812-N-ZZ999-1001 PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 12, 2021) Fishermen from a small Pacific...... read more read more
By: LT Neil Davis, Patrol Squadron (VP) 46 Public Affairs
OAK HARBOR, Wash. - Currently detached to Kaneohe Bay, HI, on August 12, 2021, Patrol Squadron Forty Six was tasked to assist the Coast Guard in the search and rescue of a stranded fishing vessel that had drifted nearly 300 miles from the coast. The three fishermen, reported missing six days prior, were at sea in an 18 foot aluminum fishing boat with no means of communication nor safety equipment on board.
Led by Mission Commander Lieutenant Chase Reeder, the Grey Knight aircrew launched early in the morning and traveled nearly 1100 miles from the coast of Hawaii to begin their search. At 0846 and with 37 nautical miles remaining on the last leg of the search pattern, the crew detected a small craft on the aircraft’s electro-optic camera and proceeded inbound to investigate. Because of the small size of the vessel, the crew received no radar return, but as they closed distance, they recognized the missing boat. Running low on fuel, the aircrew quickly prepared to drop their Search and Rescue Kit.
The Grey Knight Aircrew expedited their descent and deployed a Mk-58 Marine Location Marker, giving the aircrew a visual reference of the vessel as well as to determine the wind. On the next pass, they deployed the Search and Rescue Kit (SAR Kit) supplying the distressed mariners with a covered raft, food, water, and other survival equipment. As the aircrew returned to base, the Grey Knights contacted a nearby cargo ship that proceeded towards the missing vessel.
After spending several days with no food or water, all three fishermen are expected to make a full recovery. Regarding the rescue mission, Lieutenant Chase Reeder emphasized that “to call the crew vigilant would be an understatement. From the moment we were asked to assist in the search by the Coast Guard the crew was locked in. The entire crew performed their duties with a resounding level of professionalism.”
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 and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance in the FIFTH and SIXTH Fleet Areas of Responsibility. VP-46 is homeported at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington with a detachment assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. They continue to prove the multi-mission capability of the P-8A Poseidon around the world.
| Date Taken: | 08.12.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.24.2021 11:13 |
| Story ID: | 405974 |
| Location: | KANEOHE BAY, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 3,350 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Grey Knights Locate Fishermen Lost at Sea, by PO1 Austin Ingram, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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