Coast Guard medevacs passenger from cruise ship 231 miles southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Fifth District command center received a medical evacuation request from crewmembers aboard the cruise ship Anthem of The Sea, requesting assistance for an ailing woman who was reportedly suffering from internal bleeding. Watchstanders dispatched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew and an HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City. The rescue helicopter crew arrived on-scene and hoisted the woman and a family member aboard while simultaneously the Hercules crew provided aerial coverage. "Launching far offshore and at night can be complex and challenging," said Chief Petty Officer Brian Gainey, operations unit watchstander at the Fifth District Command Center. "Cases like this demonstrate how the hard work and consistent training from our members allow us to safely carry out missions and successfully help those in need." Read more.
Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton offloads approximately $504 million in cocaine, marijuana at Port Everglades, Florida. On Nov. 22, Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton’s crew offloaded approximately 26,250 pounds of cocaine and 3,700 pounds of marijuana worth approximately $504 million, which is the largest drug interdiction in the ship’s history. The Coast Guard's strong international relationships, with key partners like Canada, along with our specialized capabilities and unmatched authorities, allow for a unity of effort to disrupt transnational crime organizations, which threaten America and our partner nations. “I could not be prouder of this crew and their determination to keeping more than 26,000 pounds of cocaine from reaching the shores of Central and North America,” said Capt. Matthew Brown, commanding officer Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton. “It has been a dynamic two and a half months for this ship with some very difficult law enforcement cases. But at the core of these capabilities is a true culture of trust and respect for each other which enabled the safe apprehension of 14 suspected traffickers. Each one of our cases represented the teamwork and partnerships not only domestically but with our partners in the Western Hemisphere." Read more.
Coast Guard taps second ship as party of interest in oil spill. Coast Guard investigators on Nov. 19 said they have identified a second ship suspected of dragging its anchor near an underwater pipeline that later leaked crude oil into the waters off the Southern California coast. The Coast Guard said in a statement that investigators boarded the Beijing in the Port of Long Beach on Nov. 18 and that the owner and operator of the vessel were designated as parties of interest in the probe of last month's oil spill. The pipeline run by Houston-based Amplify Energy leaked about 25,000 gallons (94,635 liters) of crude into the ocean last month, prompting beach and fishery closures and raising concerns among environmentalists about the impact of oil washing up along the coast. Read more.
Resource: USCG press release website: https://www.news.uscg.mil/