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There are several qualities that make the Northern Oregon coast
majestic– the constant surf, for example. It sounds like roaring
thunder as it breaks against jagged cliff sides and enters natural
caves, then draws back out, rhythmically repeating the process in a
symphony that has carved the coastline across eons. From a distance,
the white wash seems perfectly synchronized and almost placid, but
the same breathtaking waves that beckon tourists from around the
world are some of the most unpredictable and treacherous as well.
One of the best places to experience the Oregon coast is Cape
Kiwanda, the smallest headland among Three Capes Scenic Route in
Lincoln County, Oregon. But its spectacular wave action, keyholes
and caves often make it the backdrop for Coast Guard
search-and-rescue cases.
In the early afternoon of the first
day of February 2016, a girl from Washington fell into the Pacific
Ocean near Cape Kiwanda in Lincoln County, Oregon. This tragic fall
set in motion an unforgettable rescue that captivated the country.
More than 150 miles north of the fall site an aircrew of a
conspicuous yellow helicopter – a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk with a
1940s paint scheme commemorating 100 years of Coast Guard aviation
in 2016 – was conducting routine training with a Coast Guard motor
lifeboat crew when they were diverted to assist in search and rescue
efforts for the girl near Cape Kiwanda. Moments after receiving a
notification from watchstanders at Sector Columbia River, the
aircrew: Lt. Rob McCabe, pilot; Lt. j.g. Alex Martfeld, co-pilot;
Chief Petty Officer Michael Spencer, an aviation survival technician
at Air Station Astoria; and Petty Officer 1st Class David Corcino,
an aviation maintenance technician and helicopter flight mechanic,
diverted to assist the case.
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February 2016 - The Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk with a 1940s paint scheme commemorating 100 years of Coast Guard aviation. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
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Their next several hours would be as unique as the
helicopter that carried them.
The search began in
tandem with North Lincoln County Fire and Rescue, who
launched three rescuers on personal watercraft to examine
the search area as closely as possible.
“We were taking a good look at all the nooks, crannies and
caves within Cape Kiwanda with cameras that can pickup heat
signature and can peer into caves,” said McCabe. “Then right
in front of us we noticed someone that appeared motionless
in the water next to a man on a personal watercraft.”
Two personal watercraft operators had been overtaken by
a 10 to 15-foot wave that tossed them into the air and swept
the watercraft into a cave.
Adrenaline rushed as the
crew realized their search-and-rescue case was beginning in
an unsuspected way. They immediately began completing their
rescue checklist.
“There wasn't time to weigh all the
risk factors, so this is one of the most difficult decisions
I've ever had to make as an aircraft commander,” said
McCabe. “But this crew was very experienced, and we were
able to switch gears pretty quickly. We are fortunate that
we operate routinely in an area of responsibility that is
characterized by this rugged coastline and high surf and
caves like this.”
Chief Spencer, the crew rescue
swimmer, prepared to deploy out of the helicopter, while
Corcino prepared the hoist and kept an eye with the men in
the water and the dynamic waves. Just as the men began
rolling into the channel toward the back of the cave, the
aircrew was ready.
As the hoist operator, Corcino's
responsibility is to direct the pilots to put the helicopter
where it needs to be to conduct the hoist, and to keep the
rescue swimmer safe while he is on the hook.
He
lowered Spencer toward the frothy water.
Spencer knew
going down that one of the responders in the water was in
more serious a condition than the other. He was the priority
despite both responders being in a dangerous position. As
Spencer was being lowered to their position, one rescuer was
helping the other by keeping the injured rescuer's airway
open and his head above water.
“The pilots and Dave
did a phenomenal job,” said Spencer. “They lowered me down
right next to the survivors. I was able to focus on the
patient and less on what was going on around me.”
Spencer was able to get the first responder in the quick
strap with a little struggle and gave the ready for pickup
sign. The crew took the survivor to medical personnel who
were waiting on the rocks surrounding the punchbowl.
“This was easily one of the most difficult rescues I have
been a part of,” said Corcino.
Corcino then vectored
the helicopter pilots near the cave to put Spencer in the
perfect place for the second rescue.
“It was like
threading the needle,” said McCabe. “We all trusted each
other to get the job done and done safely.”
Within
minutes, both North Lincoln County responders were safe on
land, but the Coast Guard's aircrew was just getting
started.
The crew shifted its focus back to the
missing girl. Over the next 19 hours, Coast Guard helicopter
and boat crews traveled 426 miles to scour 72 square miles
of shoreline and ocean for the girl, but she was tragically
lost to the unforgiving Oregon surf.
A young woman
was tragically lost, but two fellow first responders lived
to save lives another day because a Coast Guard crew was
trained and ready. The unforgiving Oregon coast line once
again provided a majestic backdrop for a rescue, but what
made this rescue truly special where the lives that were
placed on the line for someone else. The Coast Guard aircrew
and watercraft operators for the girl, the North Lincoln
County responders for each other and the Coast Guard for
their fellow first responders.
By U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Levi Read
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
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