WHO: Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, New Jersey, helicopter crew

WHAT: News conference discussing laser strike dangers

WHERE: Coast Guard Station Ocean City, 610 S Philadelphia Ave, Ocean City, Maryland, 21842

WHEN: Tuesday, July 28, 2015, at 10 a.m.

BALTIMORE — A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, New Jersey, is scheduled to land an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter at Coast Guard Station Ocean City, Maryland, Tuesday at 9:45 a.m. to discuss laser strike dangers.

Laser strikes are a great danger to aircrews and can cause glare, afterimage, flash blindness or temporary loss of vision.

Coast Guard flight rules dictate the aircraft must abort its mission following a laser strike. Additionally, aircrew members are taken off flight duty for a minimum of 24 hours and must have their eyes dilated and be cleared by a doctor before flying again.

Media should arrive no later than 9:30 a.m.

Media planning to attend should contact 757-202-3429 to RSVP.

BOSTON — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle is scheduled to arrive at the Fort Adams State Park North Pier, Newport, Rhode Island, Friday as part of the 2015 cadet summer training deployment.

The Eagle will be open for free public tours:

* Friday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

* Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 7 p.m.

* Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Eagle will be transiting through Narragansett Bay, Newport Harbor, and mooring at Fort Adams State Park at approximately 9:30 a.m.

At 295 feet in length, the Eagle is the largest tall ship flying the American flag and the only active square-rigger in U.S. government service. Constructed in 1936 by the Blohm and Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, and originally commissioned as the Horst Wessel by the German Navy, Eagle was taken by the United States as a war reparation following World War II.

With more than 23,500 square feet of sail and six miles of rigging, Eagle has served as a classroom at sea for future Coast Guard officers since 1946, offering an at-sea leadership and professional development experience. Currently, there are 150 cadets from the Coast Guard Academy embarked. The summer deployment for the Barque spans 17 weeks, stopping at 14 port calls in three countries, with six different groups of cadets and officer candidates training onboard.

A permanent crew of eight officers and 57 enlisted personnel maintain the ship and guide the cadets through an underway and in-port training schedule, dedicated to learning the skills of navigation, damage control, watchstanding, engineering and deck seamanship.

To follow Eagle’s summer cruise, visit the ship’s Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/CoastGuardCutterEagle

EDITOR'S NOTE: Media interested in attending the event are asked to RSVP with Chief Petty Officer Ryan Doss from Coast Guard 7th District Public Affairs at 305-542-8127. Doss is located in Jupiter, Florida. Media must arrive no later than 4:30 p.m. 

MIAMI — The Coast Guard is scheduled to hold a press briefing in Jupiter, Florida, regarding the two missing 14-year-old boys, Monday.

WHO: Coast Guard Capt. Mark Fedor, chief of response for the Coast Guard 7th District in Miami.

WHAT: Press briefing to inform the public about search efforts in response to the two missing 14-year-old boys from Jupiter, Florida. 

WHEN: Monday at 5 p.m.

WHERE: The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, 500 Captain Armour's Way, Jupiter FL 33469; media are asked to enter through the Coast Guard exchange parking lot. In the event of inclement weather, the briefing will be held in the museum. 

At approximately 5 p.m. Friday, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Miami received the report that Austin Stephanos, 14, and Perry Cohen, 14, were aboard a 19-foot white single engine center console vessel and were last seen in the Jupiter, Florida, area at approximately 1:30 p.m after purchasing $110 worth of fuel.

On Sunday at 11 a.m., a Coast Guard HC-130 located a capsized vessel 67 nautical miles east of Ponce Inlet, Florida. A Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew was dispatched, lowered a rescue swimmer to the boat, and confirmed the vessel's registration. 

At this time the Coast Guard and partner agencies are actively searching for the teens.

For breaking news follow us on Twitter @uscgsoutheast

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Coast Guard and Puerto Rico Police rescue crews responding to a capsized 19-foot boat combined efforts to rescue two men and recover two women deceased Sunday night, just off the coast of Humacao, Puerto Rico.

"Our most heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the deceased,” said CDR Lawrence Gaillard, Operations Officer of USCG Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla.  "We commend the swift response and professionalism displayed by local emergency responders who saved two lives and the Coast Guard aircrew while recovering the bodies of the two women.  We hope and pray their loved ones find peace and closure during this most difficult time.”

Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan were initially notified of the incident at 6:48 p.m. Sunday by a 911 emergency operator, who relayed a report from a bystander at the Palmas del Mar Resort in Humacao.  The bystander reported seeing two people off the coast holding onto an object and waving their arms for assistance.

Coast Guard watchstanders launched a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew out of Air Station Borinquen, Aguadilla, and coordinated efforts with the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency and Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action rescue crews that were also responding.

The crew of the Puerto Rico Joint Forces of Rapid Action marine unit arrived on scene and rescued the two men in the water, while the Coast Guard rescue helicopter deployed their rescue swimmer to the capsized vessel where the two female passengers were found deceased reportedly wearing lifejackets and entangled in the vessel’s lines.  The rescue swimmer cut the lines entangling the bodies of the women and swam approximately 50 yards pulling each of them to shore one at a time, where they were transferred to awaiting emergency response authorities ashore.

WARRENTON, Ore. — A Coast Guard Air Station Astoria aircrew assisted Clatsop County Sheriff Department personnel with the rescue of two hikers stranded by incoming tide near Hug Point, Monday.

The two hikers, both 20-year-old females from Canby, were safely hoisted at 2:45 a.m. and brought to local emergency responders on scene.

Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Columbia River Command Center received the request for assistance from Clatsop County Sheriff Department personnel deputies after the two hikers became disoriented and trapped by incoming tide. Watchstanders directed the launch of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew which was able to safely rescue the women.

“This case illustrates the importance of having highly trained crews and hoist capable assets,” said Senior Chief Joseph Dalida, operations specialist, Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. “The quick response by both the local responders and our helicopter crews made for a successful rescue of these two women in a situation where timing can be everything.”

Weather on scene at the time of the time of the incident was reported as clear skies and calm winds.

A Coast Guard Station Valdez boatcrew responds to a 30-foot fishing vessel taking on water near Valdez, Alaska, July 27, 2015. The fishing vessel Fishing Time had a four-inch crack in the hull that the Station Valdez boatcrew assisted with repairing before escorting the two boaters to Cordova.  U.S. Coast Guard photo.

KODIAK, Alaska — A Coast Guard Station Valdez, Alaska, boatcrew responded to a 30-foot fishing vessel taking on water near Valdez, Monday.

The boatcrew transferred a dewatering pump and damage control kit to the two boaters and assisted them in controlling the onboard flooding before escorting the vessel to Cordova.

Coast Guard Sector Anchorage watchstanders received a report from the crew aboard Fishing Time of the vessel taking on water due to a four-inch crack in its hull. Watchstanders launched the Station Valdez 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew to the scene. 

“The capability of our boatcrews to transport dewatering pumps to vessels can often prevent a small problem from
turning into a life-or-death situation,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Yonk, a Sector Anchorage watchstander. “It's always good for a mariner to be proactive and not wait until the last minute to notify the Coast Guard.”

Weather on scene was reported as 4-foot seas and 15 mph winds.

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The Coast Guard is searching for an overdue paddle boarder in the vicinity of Fort Pierce.

Missing is William Morlock, 58 years old.

The crews of the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Cormorant and a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane are currently searching for Morlock.

Morlock’s sister notified watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector Miami command center of the situation at 9:05 a.m., Sunday. The initial report stated that her brother William was last seen Friday evening, at the residence they share, preparing the paddle board for use.

Watchstanders launched crews aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Miami, an HC-130 Hercules airplane from Air Station Clearwater, Fla., an HC-144 from Air Station Miami, and a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Coast Guard Station Fort Pierce, Sunday upon being notified.

Crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Bluefin and the C-130 searched throughout Sunday night and into Monday. The Bluefin crew and an HC-144 airplane crew searched throughout Monday.

For more information contact the Coast Guard 7th District Public Affairs Office at 786-367-7649.

For breaking news, please follow us on Twitter @uscgsoutheast.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Please click on images for high resolution download.

A member of Gumbo-Limbo Nature Center based in Boca Raton, Florida, prepares loggerhead and green sea turtle hatchlings to be released to sea July 27, 2015.  More than 600 turtles were released back into the Atlantic Ocean during the joint effort between the Coast Guard and the Gumbo-Limbo Nature Center. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2^nd Class Jon-Paul Rios.

A member of Gumbo-Limbo Nature Center based in Boca Raton, Florida, prepares loggerhead and green sea turtle hatchlings to be released to sea July 27, 2015.  More than 600 turtles were released back into the Atlantic Ocean during the joint effort between the Coast Guard and the Gumbo-Limbo Nature Center. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2^nd Class Jon-Paul Rios. 

Sea turtle hatchlings are placed in bins by members of Gumbo-Limbo Nature Center prior to being released to the Atlantic Ocean July 27, 2015. In total, 624 loggerhead hatchlings, nine green sea turtles, three juvenile loggerheads and one post hatchling hawksbill were released by the Coast Guard and Gumbo-Limbo Nature Center. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2^nd Class Jon-Paul Rios.

A Hawksbill sea turtle, named Hope, prepares to be released back to the Atlantic Ocean by the Coast Guard and members of Gumbo-Limbo Nature Center July 27, 2015. Hope is considered a washback, a turtle previously released to the wild but due to illness washed back ashore and needed to be rehabilitated for a second time. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2^nd Class Jon-Paul Rios.

A member of Gumbo-Limbo Nature Center releases a rehabilitated Loggerhead into the Atlantic Ocean July 27, 2015. In support of the Coast Guard’s commitment to protecting endangered species and the marine environment, crewmembers from Station Fort Lauderdale, Florida, transported marine scientists and volunteers from the Gumbo-Limbo Nature Center offshore to assist in the release of more than 600 sea turtles. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2^nd Class Jon-Paul Rios.

MIAMI — More than 600 baby sea turtles were released back into the Atlantic Ocean Monday in a joint effort between the Coast Guard and the Gumbo-Limbo Nature Center.

In support of the Coast Guard’s commitment to protecting endangered species and the marine environment, crewmembers from Station Fort Lauderdale, Florida, transported marine scientists and volunteers from the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center offshore to assist in the release of the hatchlings.

The sea turtle hatchlings come from turtle nests located along beaches throughout Florida, which are the primary nesting grounds for Loggerhead sea turtles.  In addition to the more than 600 baby sea turtles being released, four turtles between the ages of 6-months and 1-year will be released back into the wild following rehabilitation at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. 

In all 637 sea turtles were released:

• 624 Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings
• Nine Green sea turtle hatchlings
• Three rehabilitated Loggerhead post-hatchling sea turtles
• One Hawksbill post-hatchling sea turtle

SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard rescued an adult male from a sinking sailing vessel Monday evening near Treasure Island.

At 6:29 p.m., Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Command Center personnel received a distress broadcast from the owner of a 40-foot sailing vessel reporting it was taking on water approximately half of a mile northeast of Treasure Island. 

The Sector San Francisco Command Center issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and dispatched a rescue boatcrew from Coast Guard Station San Francisco and a helicopter rescue crew from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco.

The man was wearing a life jacket and was pulled from the water by the rescue boatcrew. There were no injuries reported, and medical care was declined.

“The individual was able to direct us right to him with his portable VHF radio,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jamison Larson, a crewmember at Coast Guard Station San Francisco. “The radio, coupled with the life jacket he was wearing, enabled us to quickly locate and safely recover him from the water."

HOUSTON — A small section of the Upper Houston Ship Channel was closed Tuesday morning after a report of 1,000 gallons of diesel entered Greens Bayou from a cement facility.

Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received the initial report at 7:13 a.m. of a diesel storage tank overflowing and entering the waterway.

To facilitate spill assessment and response operations, the Captain of the Port established a safety zone at 7:57 a.m., closing the Houston Ship Channel where it intersects Greens Bayou.

Coast Guard incident management personnel are on scene with Garner Environmental, who has been contracted by South Central Cement to conduct cleanup operations.

The diesel release was secured and the spill has been contained using boom.

Rear Adm. June Ryan, the Coast Guard 9th District commander, and Capt. Steven Teschendorf, the Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie commander, dedicate the newly constructed Captain Jimmie H. Hobaugh community center in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., along with members of Hobaugh's family and the Coast Guard Foundation, July 27, 2015. The brand new community center has a gym and lounge area that Coast Guard members and their families can use. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of O'Gorman Photography/Released)

SAULT STE MARIE, Mich. — Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard 9th District, Sector Sault Ste. Marie, the Coast Guard Foundation and Capt. Jimmie H. Hobaugh's family named and dedicated the newly-built Capt. Jimmie H. Hobaugh community center during a ribbon cutting ceremony July 27, 2015 in Sault Ste. Marie.

The brand new community center has a gym and lounge area for Coast Guard members and their families. 

Hobaugh was the commanding officer on Coast Guard Cutter Woodrush when it responded to the wreck of the motor vessel Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975.

He was also commanding officer of Group Sault Ste. Marie and acted as on-scene commander and oversaw the seven-month salvage operation of the Coast Guard Cutter Mesquite when it ran aground in 1989.

After he retired from the Coast Guard, Hobaugh participated in numerous community service organizations and projects in Sault Ste. Marie. He passed away in December 2014.

The project cost approximately $650,000, and the Coast Guard Foundation donated approximately $400,000 to the project.

HOUSTON — The Coast Guard is searching a missing father and son who were last seen Tuesday morning, before fishing on the Brazos River south of Freeport, Texas.

Missing are Phillip and Brandon Orr.

The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Department contacted Coast Guard Station Freeport at about 9:20 a.m., to report finding an unmanned boat doing circles on the river north of the Intracoastal Waterway on the Brazos River. Upon further inspection, the keys were in the ignition and both cell phones were left on the boat. 

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston responded by diverting Station Freeport and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Houston. Brazoria County Sheriff’s Department and emergency medical services are also on scene and assisting.

MIAMI — The Coast Guard continues to search for two missing boys, Tuesday, approximately 100 nautical miles off the coast of the Florida and Georgia border.

Still missing are Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14 years old.

Coast Guard search crews have conducted 39 search patterns covering more than 30,992 square nautical miles. The search area stretches from Jupiter, Florida to Charleston, South Carolina.

Coast Guard assets involved in the search include:

• Coast Guard Cutter Maria Bray
• Coast Guard Cutter William Flores
• Coast Guard Cutter Shrike
• Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin
• Coast Guard Cutter Sawfish
• Coast Guard Cutter James
• Coast Guard Station Ponce de Leon Inlet small boats
• Coast Guard Station Port Canaveral small boats
• HC-130 Hercules airplanes from Coast Guard Air Stations Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and Clearwater, Florida.

Other agencies involved in the search include the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, Customs and Border Protection, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“We continue to search for the missing boys,” said Capt. Mark Fedor, chief of response for the Coast Guard 7th district. “We’re constantly reevaluating the situation to determine our next course of action, however as each hour goes by, the situation becomes dire.”

At approximately 5 p.m. Friday, watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Miami command center received the report that Austin and Perry were aboard a 19-foot white single engine center console vessel and were last seen in the Jupiter area at approximately 1:30 p.m., after purchasing $110 worth of fuel.

On Sunday at 11 a.m., a Coast Guard C-130 located a capsized vessel 67 nautical miles east of Ponce de Leon Inlet, Florida. A Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew was dispatched, lowered a rescue swimmer to the boat, and confirmed the vessel's registration.

For more information contact the Coast Guard 7th District public affairs office at 786-367-7649.

For breaking news, please follow us on Twitter @uscgsoutheast.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Sea Fox an 87-foor patrol boat home ported in Bangor, Wash., and Jefferson County emergency response personnel responded to a fire aboard the 32-foot pleasure craft Kloshi Bay near Point Wilson, July 27, 2015. The fire was quickly extinguished and the Kloshi Bay was towed into Port Townsend. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Cutter Sea Fox.

A smallboat crew from the Coast Guard Cutter Sea Fox an 87-foor patrol boat home ported in Bangor, Wash., removes four children from the 32-foot pleasure craft Kloshi Bay which was reported on fire near Point Wilson, Wash. July 27, 2015. The children were then transferred to the Jefferson County Fire Boat Guardian for further transport to Port Townsend. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Cutter Sea Fox.

SEATTLE — A Coast Guard cutter crew and local fire department personnel responded to a fire aboard a pleasure craft with six people aboard near Point Wilson, Monday afternoon.

The six boaters, four kids and two adults, were unharmed in the fire and subsequently transfer to fire personnel aboard Jefferson County Fire Boat Guardian.

At about 4:20 p.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound in Seattle received a distress call from the master of the 32-foot pleasure craft Kloshi Bay stating there was a fire aboard their vessel. The watchstander issued an urgent marine information broadcast and diverted the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Sea Fox who was underway nearby.

The crew of the Sea Fox, an 87-foor patrol boat homeported in Bangor, removed the children from the Kloshi Bay and transferred them to the crew of fire boat while emergency responders extinguished the fire.

Once the fire was extinguished, company Vessel Assist was contacted to tow the Kloshi Bay into Port Townsend. The children were also transferred to Port Townsend via the crew of the Guardian.

Weather on scene at the time of the incident was reported as 4 mph winds and 2-foot seas.

JUNEAU, Alaska — A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew medevaced an injured mariner from a fish-processing vessel in Beaver Inlet, near Dutch Harbor, Tuesday.

The Dolphin helicopter crew launched from Cold Bay, where they were staged overnight for a different case, and safely hoisted the injured man for transport to emergency medical services in Dutch Harbor.

The crew of the Northern Victor, a 360-foot fish-processing vessel, notified the Coast Guard 17th District command center of the injured crewmember, reportedly suffering from a swollen leg, Tuesday morning.

After transporting the injured man to Dutch Harbor, commercial services arranged a flight out of Dutch Harbor to a higher level of medical care.

“We strategically place our deployed aircrews to leverage their capabilities during time-sensitive missions,” said Adam De Rocher, a civilian senior search and rescue controller at the 17th District command center. “The extreme distances between airports and medical facilities make our air assets particularly useful during emergency medical situations.

Weather on scene was reported as light wind and calm seas.

JUNEAU, Alaska — Coast Guard Sector Anchorage marine casualty investigators have sent their initial findings about what caused a 3-foot crack in the motor vessel Fennica’s hull to the Coast Guard Investigations National Center of Expertise for analysis.

After completing their review, the NCOE will submit the information to the Coast Guard Headquarters Investigation Division personnel.  Coast Guard Headquarters will review the findings and issue a final report about the incident after all of the evidence has been examined. While Coast Guard marine casualty investigations are extremely thorough and may take several months to complete the following information can be shared:

• The navigational charts found on board the Fennica were all up to date.
• The Fennica’s draft at the time of the incident was 26.25 feet.
• The Coast Guard issued a broadcast notice to mariners after a NOAA hydrographic survey revealed a (22.5ft + 3ft tide) uncharted shoal along Fennica’s track east of Hog Island.
• The vessel's Master, Mate, and Pilot onboard during the time of the casualty underwent DOT drug test.  All results were negative.

 Individuals who would like to submit a FOIA request to obtain copies of the final investigation results can do so by sending an email to: EFOIA@USCG.MIL

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard, New Orleans Harbor Police and the crew of the Port Authority response vessel General Kelly are searching for a missing person in the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Tuesday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report of a person in the water near the New Orleans Riverwalk at about 7:15 p.m. 

Sector New Orleans watchstanders launched a Coast Guard Station New Orleans small boat crew and a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew. Both assets are actively searching.

The New Orleans Police Department is currently working on identifying the individual.

Conditions of the Mississippi River are high water with swift currents. 

CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. — The Coast Guard responded to a boat aground with two children and six adults aboard Wednesday in Tom’s Cove, Chincoteague.  

At 6:15 a.m. Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders received a distress call from the pleasure craft Chaser that it ran aground.

Coast Guard Station Chincoteague crews were already in the immediate area enforcing a safety zone during the annual Chincoteague Pony Swim.  

A 24-Foot Special Purpose Craft crew assisted in rescuing a woman in her late 60s who suffered a laceration. The woman was taken to Curtis Merritt Harbor where EMS personnel took her to Peninsula Regional Hospital in Salisbury, Maryland.  

"Fortunately we were able to reach the injured woman, despite the shallow water," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Spencer Merritt. "We were glad to be able to get her to Chincoteague EMS quickly. Often times, vessels grounded in shallow water are much more difficult to assist."

The rest of those on board the Chaser are currently waiting for a friend to arrive on scene to assist them.

Often times it can be just a moment: A small, “Help,” comes across a radio channel and then is gone. A lost soul adrift in the ocean wondering if anyone heard her or if anyone knows she is out there.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Stephenie R. Williams, an operations specialist at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads, knows all too well how catching that faint call can make the difference between life and death. As an operations specialist she has to remain calm and help those in need, despite the stress and emotional impact of her career.

Every day at the Sector Hampton Roads command center there are calls coming in: boaters giving their status, Coast Guard assets, boaters hailing each other and of course, distress calls.

Williams monitors several marine radio channels for any signs of emergency, a task that can be daunting. As soon as a call comes through, Rescue 21, a system of towers set up to triangulate caller locations, helps locate the caller.

A mother of two, Williams recalls with tears one case in particular.

An aunt and nephew went swimming and became too fatigued to make it back to shore. The aunt was able to be rescued but it was not until later that rescue forces found the young boy drowned. It was shortly after Williams became a new mother.

“I can’t imagine telling his mother the news,” said Williams, wiping away tears.

During the case she couldn’t help but think of her own newborn son, however, she said her job is to remain calm and ready to assist no
matter what. During the whole case, she kept focused.

OS3 Williams and SNOS Shudark review a distress call and the Rescue 21 Display.

Whenever a distress call comes in, Williams helps the person in distress convey the most immediate and important information: nature of their distress, description of their vessel, number of people aboard, if children are involved, the boat’s location, and if life jackets are available and in use. Despite whatever thoughts and emotions are going through her mind she has to remain calm.

“That’s what you signed up for,” said Williams. “They’re relying on us for help.”

So every day, holidays and weekends, there remains a voice ready on the other end of the radio. No matter how bad the storm or dire the situation, they remain calm and ready to help provide assistance to those in need.

“Do something good, something with purpose,” said Williams on why she chose to become an OS.

That’s exactly what Williams does every day.

ST. LOUIS – The Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River Captain of the Port has lifted the restrictions on the Illinois River, Tuesday.  

The river is now open to all recreational and commercial traffic.

The Coast Guard reminds recreational boaters and mariners to always wear your life jackets, ensure you have the proper equipment and to always use caution. 

Rivers are currently experiencing stronger than average currents. Anyone on or in the river is advised to use caution.

The Coast Guard urges mariners to monitor VHF-FM channels 16 and 22 for any changes to the river.