KEWAUNEE, Wis. — A Coast Guard boatcrew from Station Two Rivers, Wis., rescued a man after the 19-foot recreational boat he was aboard struck the breakwall in Kewaunee, Wis., about 1:45 a.m. May 17, 2012. The boater stated he left the vessel in gear as he was looking down and attempting to remove a fishing hook that became caught in his clothing, when the boat struck the breakwall. To preserve the man's privacy, his face and his vessel's identification numbers have been digitally altered. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Station Two Rivers

CLEVELAND — Coast Guardsmen from Station Two Rivers, Wis., rescued a 41-year-old man after the 19-foot recreational boat he was aboard struck the breakwall in Kewaunee, Wis., early Thursday morning.

This rescue marks the first time a Great Lakes Coast Guard boatcrew used a craft normally intended for ice rescue in a response that didn’t involve ice.

The boater stated he left his vessel in gear as he was looking down and attempting to remove a fishing hook that became caught in his clothing when the boat struck the breakwall.

"It’s important to always be aware of your surroundings anytime you are on the water,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Giovannetti of Coast Guard Station Two Rivers.

“Boaters should also familiarize themselves with the areas where they plan to recreate before getting underway, especially if they plan to be out after sunset or before sunrise. Navigational hazards, markers and channels are indicated on nautical charts, which can be found at most boating supply stores."

Following the accident, the man used his cell phone to call 911 emergency dispatchers, who in turn notified the Coast Guard of the accident at 1:45 a.m. The boater indicated he was not injured, but was stranded on his vessel, which was on top of the breakwall.

A boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Two Rivers, knowing the area immediately surrounding the breakwall is too shallow to safely navigate their 25-foot Response Boat-Small, loaded their Rapid Deployable Craft onto the RB-S and headed to the scene of the accident in the RB-S.

The RDC is an inflatable, non-powered craft traditionally used in the winter months and allows ice rescue teams to reach victims who have fallen through the ice.

Once on scene, the crewman inflated the RDC, and two crewmen boarded the craft and paddled to the breakwall to rescue the man. They brought him onto the RDC, threw a heaving line back to the remaining crewmen on the RB-S, and the RB-S crew pulled the inflatable craft away from the breakwall then brought all three people aboard and took the man safely to shore.

"This rescue truly showcases the ingenuity and skill of our coxswains and crewmen," said Capt. Stephen Torpey, chief of response at the 9th Coast Guard District. "We're always encouraging our members to think outside the box and to use every available tool to get the job done."

"This rescue crew clearly took that advice to heart, as evidenced by their on-scene initiative, and got where they needed to be to safely rescue this boater."

The boater is working with the harbormaster and a salvage team to remove his vessel from the breakwall. His name is not being released.

In this stock image, a Coast Guard ice rescue team prepares to train using a Rapid Deployable Craft.

CLEVELAND — The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, working in concert with Coast Guard Sector Detroit, announces Wednesday that it will be offering free vessel safety checks throughout eastern Michigan, northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana during the months of May and June, 2012.

Some recent safety checks resulted in Coast Guard boarding teams requiring mariners to return to port because of a lack of required safety equipment.

The Coast Guard is offering these free, no penalty, courtesy examinations of recreational boats to ensure boaters understand the state and federal safety requirements, and that boaters' equipment meet those standards.

Coast Guard auxiliarists from Auxiliary Divisions 16, 18 and 20 will be offering vessel safety checks in Ohio from May 12 to May 19, at locations between Marblehead and Toledo, in Michigan from May 7 to June 30, at locations south of Detroit between Monroe and River Rouge, and north of Detroit at locations between Clarkston and Algonac and in northeast Indiana on May 19.

Click here for a complete spreadsheet detailing the times and locations where Vessel Safety Checks will be offered.

"Checking safety gear before leaving the dock ensures that proper lifesaving equipment is available should something go wrong," said Chief Petty Officer Gabe Settel, a search and rescue controller with Coast Guard Sector Detroit. "The Coast Guard wants everyone who goes out on the water to come home safely."

The Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary are advising that all mariners receive a vessel safety check before heading out onto the water. This is not a boarding or law enforcement action, and there will be no citations given as a result of this examination. Each vessel examiner is a trained boating safety specialist that will make recommendations and discuss issues that will make boaters safer.

For more information contact Lynn Heasel, Auxiliary coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Detroit, at 313-568-9575.

Click the below thumbnail to obtain a high-resolution version

CLEVELAND — The keynote speaker and public service award recipients from the U.S. Coast Guard pose for a picture following the Cleveland Federal Executive Board's Wings of Excellence Federal Employee Recognition Ceremony at the Marriot Key Center in Cleveland, May 11, 2012. Pictured left to right are: (back row) Greg Harris, vice president of development at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum; Lt. Richard Colby, an asset line manager at Civil Engineering Unit Cleveland; Petty Officer 1st Class Scott Hutton, a storekeeper with Base Support Detachment Cleveland; Petty Officer 1st Class Ben Phlipot, an information systems technician with Electronic Systems Support Unit Cleveland; Capt. Thomas Routhier, commanding officer of Base Cleveland; (front row) David Bolanz, area housing manager for the 9th Coast Guard District; Katherine Carver, a real property accountability specialist with Civil Engineering Unit Cleveland; and Lt. Cmdr. David Uhl, chief of reserve readiness for the 9th Coast Guard District. NASA photo by Michelle M. Murphy

CLEVELAND — A Coast Guard rescue boatcrew medically evacuated an ailing 67-year-old man from aboard a bulk carrier in Lake Superior Monday evening.

The man's name and hometown are not being released.  There is no Coast Guard imagery associated with this case.

Radio watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Marquette, Mich., received a call from local 911 central dispatch just before 7 p.m. EST.  The 911 call relayed contact from the crew of the motor vessel Joseph L. Block.  The crew of the vessel were reporting a crewmember suffering from stomach pains and severe dizziness.

After conferring with an on-call flight surgeon, it was determined the man needed to be evacuated.  Search and rescue controllers at Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., determined that, given the ship's location, a rescue boat from Station Marquette could get on scene faster than a rescue helicopter.

A rescue boatcrew launched from the station aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium at 7:13 p.m.  They arrived on scene, 38 miles northeast of Marquette, at 8:10 p.m. and transferred the man onto the RB-M.

During the transit to shore, the man was treated by a local EMT, who was already aboard the RB-M.  The man was transported to Station Marquette, where a waiting ambulance crew took him to Marquette General Hospital.

The Joseph L. Block is a 714-foot bulk carrier and was en route to Indiana Harbor with a cargo of taconite.

Whenever possible, the Coast Guard utilizes local EMTs and other first responders who have more extensive training to treat injured mariners.

The Response Boat-Medium is one of the Coast Guard's newest response assets, capable of a top speed in excess of 40 knots.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The public and media are invited to partake in a National Safe Boating Week kickoff event scheduled to begin Saturday morning at Leicht Park in Green Bay.

The purpose of the event is to promote boating safety initiatives for the upcoming boating season throughout the Green Bay area.

The mayor of Green Bay will open the ceremony with a National Safe Boating Week proclamation at 9:30 a.m.

Events include interactive boating safety demonstrations, tours of the Coast Guard Cutter Buckthorn, paddleboat safety demonstrations, and free vessel safety inspections by the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The goal of National Safe Boating Week, held annually during the week leading up to Memorial Day weekend, is to heighten awareness among recreational boaters of the importance of boating responsibly and wearing a life jacket at all times.

Nationally, there were 672 boating fatalities in 2010.  Of those, 21 were children under age thirteen. 

Almost 75 percent of these boating accident victims drowned and of those, 88 percent were not reported as wearing a life jacket.  Although federal regulations require that children under 13 wear life jackets when boating, Wisconsin state law does not require wear.

Eight out of every 10 boaters who drowned were on vessels less than 21 feet in length.

Operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed, and alcohol rank as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents.

Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; it was listed as the leading factor in 19 percent of the deaths. 

Editor's Note: Media interested in attending should contact Paul Mason, US Coast Guard Auxiliary, at 920-309-0076, or Chief Petty Officer Kyle Dupree, officer-in-charge of Station Green Bay, at 920-435-7042.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The crew of Coast Guard Station Buffalo, N.Y., took delivery Thursday of the station’s new 45-foot Response Boat-Medium, built by Marinette Marine, of Manitowoc, Wis.

The station crew has been running tests on the new boat out of the Buffalo’s Outer Harbor, demonstrating its advanced capabilities.  The RB-M can respond faster than previous boats of similar size with a top speed in excess of 40 knots, has advanced search capability with an installed forward-looking infrared search technology.  Additionally, with twin jet propulsion, the vessel is able to respond in shallower water.

The boat has a deep-V, double-chine hull, which provides a balance of performance and stability. The vessel is also self-righting. If it capsizes in rough seas, the boat is designed to right itself.

"This boat further enhances our ability to be ‘Always Ready,’" said Chief Petty Officer Dennis O’Connell, officer-in-charge of Station Buffalo.  “This is the promise the Coast Guard has made to the nation.”

It can handle heavy seas and waves up to 12 feet and carry up to 25 people.

"This will be a great asset for us,” said Petty Officer 1^st Class Thomas D’Amore, executive petty officer of the station. “It really increases our capabilities.  With increased technology, we are able to respond quicker to a better defined location."

The RB-M is being added to Station Buffalo’s current complement, consisting of two 25-foot Response Boats-Small and one 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement boat.

FRANKFORT, Mich. – Three and four-year-old children from Betsie Bay Cooperative Preschool visit Coast Guard Station Frankfort, May 9, 2012. As part of National Safe Boating Week, the children were given a tour of the unit's boats and learned about the importance of wearing life jackets anytime that they are on a boat or near the water. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Kate Bowe.

CLEVELAND — Personnel from Coast Guard Station Frankfort, Mich., hosted a class of three and four-year-olds from the Betsie Bay Cooperative Preschool, Wednesday.

The children visited the station, were given tours of the unit's boats and talked to crewmembers about the importance of wearing life jackets anytime that they are on an boat or near the water.

"It was great having the young children from Betsie Bay Cooperative Preschool in Frankfort come to the station learn about what we do, answer their questions and educate them about boating safety," said Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Bowe, executive petty officer of Station Frankfort. "It is never too early to teach kids about the importance of water safety and wearing a life jacket at a very young age."

The event was held as a precursor to National Safe Boating Week, an annual event held the week before Memorial Day Weekend designed to heighten awareness among recreational boaters of the importance of boating responsibly and wearing a life jacket at all times.

LAKE ERIE — Illegal gill nets and net anchors seized by law enforcement officers from Coast Guard Station Marblehead, Ohio, are stowed on the deck of the Canadian-flagged commercial fishing vessel ADCO II, May 9, 2012. Gear belonging to the vessel was found about 150 yards inside U.S. and Ohio territorial waters. U.S. Coast Guard photo. Click on the image for a high-resolution version.

CLEVELAND — A U.S. Coast Guard boarding team from Coast Guard Station Marblehead, Ohio, boarded and seized gear aboard the Canadian-flagged commercial fishing vessel ADCO II, Wednesday, after locating fishing equipment belonging to the vessel in Lake Erie in waters subject to U.S. and Ohio jurisdiction.

Enforcement action is already pending against the vessel after it was observed allegedly fishing in U.S. and Ohio waters, Thursday. Click here to read about that case.

Law enforcement personnel from Station Marblehead, aboard a 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement, discovered five gill nets straddling the U.S. and Canadian border southeast of Middle Sister Island, Wednesday morning. The Coast Guard was alerted by a marine asset from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine of possible illegal fishing activity.

"Working with federal, Ohio and Canadian partners, the Coast Guard conducted a boarding and seized illegal fishing gear in U.S. waters," said Cmdr. David Beck, chief of enforcement for the 9th Coast Guard District. "The Coast Guard takes seriously violations of state, tribal and federal fishing laws. Accordingly, we have a great relationship with our fellow enforcement agencies to detect, deter and prevent illegal activity on or near our shared border."

After boarding the vessel just after noon, under authority granted by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the law enforcement team seized about 960 feet of fishing nets and five net anchors. The fishing gear will be transferred to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, who will be pursuing enforcement action against the vessel.

Coast Guard personnel also documented about 350 pounds of walleye in the nets. The vessel was permitted to keep the catch and will be met by personnel from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, who will be investigating possible enforcement action upon the vessel’s return to Canada.

For information regarding U.S. enforcement action, contact Gino Barna, ODNR, at 419-625-8062.

For information regarding Canadian enforcement action, contact Jolanta Kowalski, OMNR, at 416-314-2106.

LAKE ERIE — A boarding team from Coast Guard Station Marblehead, Ohio, aboard a 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement, determines the position of the Canadian-flagged commercial fishing vessel ADCO II near North Bass Island, May 3, 2012. Coast Guard personnel, working with members of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, interdicted the vessel after determining that it was fishing illegally in waters subject to U.S. and Ohio jurisdiction. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Air Station Detroit

CLEVELAND — U.S. Coast Guard personnel, working with members of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, interdicted a Canadian commercial fishing vessel allegedly fishing illegally on Lake Erie in waters subject to U.S. and Ohio jurisdiction, Thursday morning.

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources personnel contacted Coast Guard Sector Detroit at about 8:45 a.m., alerting watchstanders in Sector Detroit’s Command Center of a commercial vessel potentially fishing in U.S./Ohio waters near North Bass Island.

A law enforcement team from Coast Guard Station Marblehead, Ohio, launched aboard a 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement and determined that the ADCO II was actively engaged in fishing about 160 yards inside U.S. waters. Aircrews from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine were also on scene.  A boatcrew from CBP Air and Marine was also on scene throughout the response.

After determining the vessel’s location, law enforcement personnel boarded the vessel and were granted a statement of no objection to temporarily detain the vessel, fishing gear and any associated catch.

“Partnerships, like the ones shown clearly in this case, aid in the prevention and interdiction of illegal activity,” said Lt. Jillian Lamb, chief of enforcement at Coast Guard Sector Detroit. “Working with state and Canadian agencies helped us to accomplish our shared mission of protecting marine resources.”

ODNR will be the lead agency pursuing any enforcement action against the vessel.

For more information about future enforcement actions, contact Gino Barna, ODNR, at 419-625-8062.

CLEVELAND — An aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Mich., medically evacuated a 50-year-old man from South Manitou Island, Mich., Friday morning.

The man reportedly fell down a well, was able to climb out on his own and suffered injuries to his hip and back. His name is not being released.

The Coast Guard's 9^th District Command Center, here, received the request for a medevac at about 9:20 a.m. The aircrew from Traverse City launched aboard an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter and safely transported the man back to the air station, where he was met by emergency medical services at about 11 a.m.

The man’s current condition is unknown. There is no imagery associated with this case.

The Coast Guard maintains great working relationships with emergency responders and local agencies in remote Great Lakes locations, including northern Lake Michigan's Manitou Island.

SAULT STE MARIE, Mich. - A boatcrew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Coast Guard Station Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., assists a 37-foot sailing vessel grounded in the St. Marys River near Johnson's Point, Mich., April 26, 2012. The vessel's crew was able to contact the command center and Vessel Traffic Service at Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie through marine-band radio. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service, Sault Ste. Marie. Click on the image for a downloadable version.

CLEVELAND — A Coast Guard boatcrew assisted four people Thursday morning who were aboard a 37-foot sailing vessel that grounded in the St. Marys River near Johnson’s Point, Mich.

There were no injuries reported and all four were wearing life jackets. The names of those aboard are not being released.

Watchstanders in the command center and at the Vessel Traffic Service at Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., received a distress call from the vessel about midnight via VHF-FM radio. A boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Sault Ste. Marie immediately launched aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium. After verifying the vessel was not taking on water, the boatcrew was able to free the vessel at 2:53 a.m. and escorted the vessel’s crew to open water.

“Having and using a marine-band radio allowed the Coast Guard to get to these people very quickly,” said Petty Officer 1^st Class James Coppola, a search-and-rescue controller in the command center at Sector Sault Ste. Marie. “It also allowed the people on the sailboat to contact the Vessel Traffic Service, enabling them to make sure that no commercial traffic was affected.”

A marine band radio is the best way for mariners to contact the Coast Guard or marine response agencies if they are in distress on the water. When a mayday is sent out via VHF-FM radio it is a broadcast, not just a one-to-one communication as when made via phone. When mariners ask for help on a marine radio, any nearby boaters can hear the distress call and offer immediate assistance. Channel 16 is the international distress frequency and should be used for emergencies only.

Media Note: Please post this information in your public announcement section.

CHICAGO — Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago is scheduled to present, at a meeting May 8, the findings from the Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment (PAWSA) Workshop that was held on March 27-28.

The post-PAWSA workshop meeting will allow participants to discuss the specified risks that were identified, existing risk mitigation measures, and proposed risk measures developed by the workgroup during the assessment.

Limited seating is available for waterways users not represented by an association. Seating will be offered on a first-serve basis. Individuals interested in attending the workshop will need to provide their name, waterways affiliation and contact information by May 2 to Ens. Jake Aulner at 630-986-2141 or Jacob.L.Aulner@uscg.mil.

Media interested in attending the event should R.S.V.P with Lt. Leslie Downing at 630-986-2132 or Leslie.M.Downing@uscg.mil.