Air Force Reserve rescue crews save missing boater

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Cathleen Snow
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  Crews from the 920th Rescue Wing rescued the fifth and final missing boater Oct. 2 from a pleasure craft that capsized 15 miles off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla., on Oct. 1. 

The survivor was reported to be severely hypothermic when found by two Air Force Reserve Command HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crews south of the accident site at 12:23 p.m.

Air Force Reserve pararescuemen descended into the Atlantic Ocean and pulled the survivor to safety aboard one of the helicopters, and then treated the survivor en route to a nearby hospital.

A good Samaritan reported the incident when he came across the capsized boat at 7 p.m. Oct. 1. He found one man clinging to the hull of the boat, said Lt. j.g. Dave Sanberg, search and rescue controller for the 7th Coast Guard District in Miami.

The other four passengers were said to have swam for the shore.

The Coast Guard, Navy and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office searched throughout the night for the missing boaters.

Due to strained search and rescue vessels and personnel, Lieutenant Sanberg contacted the Air Force Coordination Rescue Center at 7:30 a.m. Oct. 1 to request Air Force assets for assistance. One hour later the Coast Guard found two of the missing boaters. Simultaneously in another location, one more missing boater was found by a Navy SH-60 Sea Hawk crew.

The Air Force Reserve crews came on the scene at noon and found the fifth and final survivor shortly afterward.

"The good coordination effort among the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Defense led to a positive outcome," Lieutenant Sanberg said. "All five survivors are in good condition."

(Courtesy of Air Force Reserve Command News Service)