SAN DIEGO – The Coast Guard issued a certificate of inspection to the motor vessel Isla Bella, Saturday.

The 736-foot, 3,100 TEU, U.S.-flagged vessel is the first container ship in the world capable of operating on liquefied natural gas.

The Isla Bella was built by NASSCO in San Diego for operation by TOTE Services in trade between Jacksonville, Florida and Puerto Rico. As a marine fuel, LNG is a clean burning compound that complies with the latest standards and regulations for greenhouse gas emissions.

"Vessels issued certificates of inspection have undergone a rigorous set of inspections to ensure they conform to U.S. laws and regulations that ensure the vessel has suitable structure, proper equipment and crew accommodations," said Lt. Cmdr. Kris J Szczechowicz, Chief, Prevention Department, Sector San Diego. "The Isla Bella  is inspected under the U.S. Coast Guard's Alternate Compliance Program, which is a voluntary alternate process for a U.S. registered vessel to obtain a certificate of inspection by complying with the standards of an authorized classification society, International Conventions and a U.S. Supplement."

The Isla Bella is scheduled to depart San Diego Monday.

"I am truly honored to issue this certificate of inspection to the Master of the motor vessel Isla Bella," said Capt. Jonathan S. Spaner, Commander, Sector San Diego. "This ship is a great American story of vision, innovation, hard work, and determination. Indeed, the Isla Bella is the most environmentally friendly containership in the world today. With over 90 percent of all trade moving on the water, our involvement with this project will help to shape standards and regulations globally that advance the balance among commerce, security, and environmental sustainability. I congratulate everyone who played a part on this historic project."

The Coast Guard worked collaboratively with numerous industry partners over the past several years to ensure the delivery of a safe, secure, and environmentally compliant vessel that is ready for operation.

BOSTON — A Coast Guard rescue crew from Station Point Judith saved two men and towed a fishing boat Sunday after the boat became disabled about 5 miles southwest of Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

The operator of a 17-foot mako fishing boat with two people aboard contacted watchstanders at the Sector Long Island Sound command center, in New York, and reported they were disabled and in need of assistance. 

Due to their proximity, a Station Point Judith crew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat responded.

Once on scene, the response boat crew set up a tow for the disabled boat and transferred the two men onto the Coast Guard boat. 

The Station Point Judith medic, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Gingras, who was aboard the response boat, quickly evaluated the men and found the operator to be suffering from symptoms of hypothermia.

"The operator of the boat had been soaking wet for four to five hours, with the wind howling. He was in pretty bad shape," said Gingras. "We got him out of his wet clothes, put a few space blankets around him, cranked the heater, and helped him through the transit." 

After completing the tow, the Coast Guard crew moored the disabled boat at the Stonington Harbor Yacht Club, in Connecticut. The operator’s care was transferred to awaiting Emergency Medical Services personnel. 

HOUSTON — Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service Houston closed a small section of the upper ship channel to deep draft ship traffic at 5:58 a.m. Monday, about an hour after a tug and barge sank.

A 1,000 yard long section of the ship channel, located about 2 miles east of the Interstate 610 bridge across from the Kinder Morgan terminals in Galena Park, remains open to barge traffic one at a time. There are currently two ships waiting to go further into the port and two waiting to come out.

The Enterprise, a tug across the ship channel from the incident, called the vessel traffic service when they heard what they described as lines parting as the tug Annie Moon and attached barge sank where they were moored at about 5 a.m.

The Annie Moon is a small 25-foot harbor tug and the barge is about 200-feet long and was carrying sheets of 60 to 80-foot long, 2-foot wide and a half inch thick sheets of metal.

The Coast Guard initially restricted the area to one-way traffic upon notification of the incident, deployed a boat crew from Station Houston and diverted an Air Station Houston helicopter crew to assess the situation. The Sector Houston-Galveston Incident Management Team deployed personnel to the scene to assess the incident and oversee response operations.

The assessment team determined that approximately 20 gallons of diesel fuel leaked from the tug, which was carrying about 300 gallons. The area has been boomed off to contain and recover any additional spill while the vessels are being recovered.

Big John, the Big John Marine heavy lift cargo crane, is expected to be on scene at 1 p.m. to begin work lifting the sunken tug and barge. The Coast Guard will work with responders to ensure the barge and it's cargo are clear of the ship channel before being able to reopen the channel to all traffic.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

SEATTLE — Coast Guard, Kitsap County personnel and good Samaritans are searching for a missing diver near Port Gamble.

Missing is a 25-year-old male who was reportedly wearing a black wetsuit and rebreather.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound were notified by Kitsap County 911 dispatch at about 5:40 p.m., that a 25-year-old male had failed to surface. They immediately directed the launch of a Coast Guard aircrew from Air Station Port Angeles, a boatcrew from Station Seattle and diverted the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Sea Lion, which was already underway in the area.

Kitsap County Sheriffs Office personnel and good Samaritans are also searching the area.

Weather conditions in the search area are reported to be 56-degree water temperature, 54-degree air temperature with calm seas.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard suspended its search Monday for a 50-year-old man believed to have entered the water near the entrance to Chesapeake Bay around midnight Saturday.

Missing is Richard Nee.

Watchstanders at Sector Hampton Roads in Portsmouth received a report Sunday from two crew members aboard a 31-foot fishing vessel anchored just south of Fisherman’s Island and east of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, stating the captain of the vessel was believed to have fallen overboard while they were sleeping between 11:30 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 a.m. Sunday.

The search for Nee included Coast Guard 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crews from Station Cape Charles and Station Little Creek, the crews of Coast Guard Cutters Shearwater and Heron, both out of Portsmouth, as well as two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews and a C-130 Hercules aircraft crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Coast Guard crews searched for a total of approximately 55 hours and covered more than 700 miles.

Crews with Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Virginia Port Authority Maritime Incident Response Team, Northampton County, and others also participated in the search.

"Making the very difficult decision to suspend a search is never easy," said Capt. Christopher Keane, commander of Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads in Portsmouth. "Our deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of Mr. Richard Nee during this most difficult time."

For breaking news, follow the Fifth District on Twitter @USCGMidAtlantic.

WHO: Participants include a range of towing vessel operators, industry representatives and first responders.

WHAT: The event will provide classroom instruction on casualty statistics, the Maritime Transportation Safety Act, life saving equipment demonstrations, and practical evolutions on cold water survival and survival equipment.

WHEN: The event is scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday.  Active demonstrations, a helicopter demonstration and a Tug Boatman's Challenge is scheduled to run from 3:45 p.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Half Moon Cruise and Celebration Center at 1 Waterside Drive, Norfolk, VA 23510

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Coast Guard and Virginia Maritime Association personnel are scheduled to conduct the 16th annual Towing Vessel Safety Seminar Thursday for towing vessel crewmembers in the Port of Hampton Roads.

"The Towing Vessel Safety Seminar provides valuable training for the local maritime community," said Capt. Christopher Keane, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads. "It also provides a venue to discuss the latest policies and trends impacting local industry."

Topics for the seminar include casualty training, a safety management review, electronic charting and lifesaving equipment. The event will also include a search and rescue demonstration by a Coast Guard helicopter crew.

The forum will include practical evolutions and the 7th annual Tug Boatman’s Challenge where local mariners compete in practical skills and industry exercises.

“For 16 years the VMA and the Coast Guard have been partners in delivering vital safety and survival training to the tug and barge crews moving goods and assisting ships in Virginia’s ports,” said Art Moye, the executive vice president of VMA. “Each year, participating mariners leave the Towing Vessel Safety Seminar better equipped to safely perform their work and respond to hazardous situations.  Their employers and our port industry are beneficiaries.  More importantly, this training helps ensure the health and well-being of these crewmembers.”

The forum is made possible by the cooperation of the Coast Guard, Virginia Maritime Association and multiple industry and agency partners.

Media interested in attending should contact Lt. Karen Lee at 757-668-5524. The event is scheduled to run from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. However, the helicopter demonstration and the Tug Boatman's Challenge will run from 3:45 p.m. to 5 p.m., which will be the most visually interesting. If members of the media are interested in coming earlier, please work with Lee to schedule an alternate arrival time.

For breaking news, follow the Fifth District on Twitter @USCGMidAtlantic. 

SEATTLE — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Midgett, a 378-foot High Endurance Cutter homeported in Seattle, completed a two-week living marine resources patrol, today.

The patrol was designed to establish a presence throughout the Washington and Oregon fishing fleets, educate commercial fishermen and enforce fishing regulations.

“The efforts of Coast Guard Cutter Midgett exemplified the 13th district vision of protecting the great Pacific Northwest,” said Brian Corrigan, the living marine resources coordinator at Coast Guard 13th District in Seattle. “The living marine resources enforcement ensured a level playing field for participants in our extremely valuable and complexly managed commercial fisheries, particularly when performed in conjunction with our valued enforcement partners and is among the highest priorities of the 13th district."

The crew conducted eight at-sea boardings during the patrol, which resulted in the documentation of two suspected living marine resource violations and eight commercial fishing vessel safety violations.

On October 15, the CFVS program implemented mandatory dockside examinations for all commercial fishing vessels operating beyond the 3-mile territorial sea baseline. Boarding team members ensured compliance with the new regulations and explained the procedures for completing a mandatory dockside examination.

The crew hosted a rider from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, an instructor from the Coast Guard’s Pacific Region Fisheries Training Center, and shared information with the NOAA West Coast Region Office of Law Enforcement and the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division throughout their patrol.

Other Coast Guard units who assisted Midgett's crew in their mission include Air Station Port Angeles, Air Station Astoria, Oregon, Air Station North Bend, Oregon, and Air Station Sacramento, California.

Coast Guard and Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation personnel survey a geographic response strategy site in Kotzebue, Alaska, June 22, 2015. The visit to the site preceded an oil spill exercise in the environmentally sensitive part of Kotzebue Sound. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Grant DeVuyst.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Alejandro Delgado, an aviation maintenance technician at Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, Mass., for Arctic Shield 2015, hoists Petty Officer 3rd Class John Crow, an aviation survival technician at Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., deployed to Alaska for Arctic Shield 2015, from the Arctic Ocean during the Coast Guard Research and Development Center’s joint civil and federal search and rescue exercise near Oliktok Point, Alaska, July 14, 2015. Coast Guard aviation personnel from across the nation deployed to Alaska to participate in the 17th District’s Arctic Shield operations. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Grant DeVuyst.

Petty Officer 3rd Class James Abel, an avionics electrical technician from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, prepares to deploy an oceanic data-collecting probe over the Arctic Circle Aug. 26, 2015. This deployment was part of the Coast Guard's Operation Arctic Shield, conducted to gain a better understanding of the ever-changing Arctic environment. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Lauren Steenson.

Coast Guard Cutter Healy crew members use spotlights while navigating through ice Sept. 20, 2015, while underway in the Arctic Ocean. The lights aid in seeing pressure ridges and other obstacles. Healy is underway in the Arctic Ocean in support of the National Science Foundation-funded Arctic Geotraces, part of an international effort to study the distribution of trace elements in the world's oceans. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Cory J. Mendenhall.

Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Samuel Pulliam of Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, and Staff Sergeant Peyton Wackerman of the Alaska Air National Guard 176th Logistics Readiness Squadron prepare pallets of equipment for transport aboard a C-17 Globemaster III airplane while demobilizing a Forward Operating Location in Deadhorse Oct. 14, 2015. FOL Deadhorse was part of the Coast Guard's Arctic Shileld 2015 mission. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn Eggert.

JUNEAU, Alaska — The Coast Guard concluded Arctic Shield 2015 today after a successful period of sustained operations of deployed personnel and assets in the Arctic.

Throughout Arctic Shield operations, the Coast Guard strategically positioned and operated cutters, aircraft, and personnel from Nome through the Bering Strait to the Arctic, and as far north as the North Pole.

Coast Guard cutters were deployed to the Arctic including:  the ice breaker Healy, the national security cutter Waesche, the high endurance cutter Boutwell, Alex Haley and the seagoing buoy tenders Sycamore and Maple. Two Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters from Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, were deployed to a forward operating location in Deadhorse to rapidly respond to potential maritime incidents in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.

The focus of Arctic Shield 2015 included protecting lives and property at sea, enforcement of laws and regulations in the region, tribal engagements and assistance, service to aids to navigation, performance and evaluation of science missions and a range of marine safety activities in many Arctic communities.

Outreach efforts included meetings with local, state, federal and tribal partners to address local concerns, subsistence issues and broaden awareness about the Coast Guard’s planned activities in the region. Coast Guard personnel participated in the life jacket education program Kids Don’t Float in an effort to educate 3,376 kids and adults in 26 different villages around the Yukon, Kuskokwim Delta River, and community of Bethel.

The Healy crew conducted science missions in the region in partnership with the National Science Foundation and Coast Guard Research and Development Center to test and evaluate various types of equipment.  The Healy also became the first U.S. surface vessel to reach the North Pole unaccompanied, and the fourth U.S. surface vessel to reach the pole.

Additionally, a Geographic Response Strategy equipment mobilization and deployment exercise was conducted and critical oil spill response safety training was given to 30 state, local, and tribal entities in the village of Kotzebue, Alaska.  The successful exercise united a diverse group of agencies and provided an opportunity for understanding each other’s roles and capabilities in Arctic waters.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970, the Coast Guard completed an environmental assessment for Arctic Shield 2015. The assessment included consultations related to the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act and several public outreach events to ensure all concerned stakeholders had the opportunity to provide input or voice concerns related to Coast Guard Arctic operations. The information was used to inform and improve ongoing Arctic planning and future operations.

As sea-ice continues to recede in the Arctic, the potential for increased maritime activity has risen. Increased use of the Northern Sea Route, Northwest Passage transits through the Bering Strait and traffic from oil/gas and tourism industries is increasing, along with the demand for maritime preparedness in the Arctic region.

“The Coast Guard is dedicated to ensuring the protection of the Arctic maritime environment and all those who depend upon it,” said Rear Adm. Dan Abel, Coast Guard 17th District commander. “We have worked with our federal, state, local and tribal partners to ensure that our operations are carried out in a professional manner while recognizing and respecting the sensitive environmental characteristics of the region where operations occur.”

More information about the various missions the Healy crew conducted over the summer can be found on their website here: http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/cgcHealy/

Motor vessel Tor Viking crew rescues a distressed mariner from his disabled 30-foot sailboat approximately 400 miles south of Cold Bay, Alaska, Oct. 20, 2015. The mariner alerted the U.S. Coast Guard with his emergency position indicating radio beacon. U.S. Coast Guard video.

JUNEAU, Alaska — The Coast Guard monitored the rescue of a mariner in distress aboard a 30-foot sailboat approximately 400 miles south of Cold Bay, Alaska.

The good Samaritan crew of Tor Viking, a vessel contracted under Shell, safely recovered the mariner and his cat.

Coast Guard 17th District watchstanders received an alert from the mariner’s emergency position indicating radio beacon. Watchstanders launched an Air Station Kodiak C-130 Hercules airplane and directed Coast Guard Cutter Munro to get underway from Dutch Harbor to assist. 

Alaska Rescue Coordination Center also launched two MH-60 helicopters and a refueling aircraft for long-range missions to assist with the case. 

The C-130 arrived on scene and made contact with the distressed mariner who reported that he had no rudder or rigging and was taking on heavy seas. 

A nearby Shell vessel, Polar Pioneer, dispatched the vessel Tor Viking to assist the mariner after being contacted by the C-130 crew.

“The assistance of the good Samaritans on this long-range distress call was vital for the success of the rescue,” said Bud Holden, a Coast Guard 17th District watchstander. “The crew of Tor Viking battled 20-foot seas and gale force winds to help a fellow mariner.”

Weather on scene was reported as 20-foot seas and 46 mph winds.

The previous release misidentified the Coast Guard's Maritime Security Response Team.

BOSTON — The Coast Guard, in partnership with 10 local, state, and federal law enforcement and first responder agencies conducted a full-scale exercise Tuesday in vicinity of Deer Island in Boston Harbor.

The exercise focused on enhancing inter-agency capabilities to screen, detect, and interdict illicit materials on board vessels less than 300 gross tons.

The Coast Guard’s Maritime Security Response Team (MSRT) from Virginia also participated in the exercise to support the local screening exercise with advanced tactical boarding teams and illicit materials detection expertise.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Members from the Coast Guard, Navy and City of Virginia Beach are scheduled to remove a buoy Thursday that was beached along the shore of Virginia Beach following Hurricane Joaquin.

Members from the Coast Guard Cutter Frank Drew, Aids to Navigation Team Hampton Roads, Amphibious Construction Battalion Two and City of Virginia Beach will work to remove green buoy number 5 at approximately 9:30 a.m. from the beach between 6th Street and 7th Street.

The buoy is 19 feet 7 inches tall, weighs approximately 6,100 pounds.

Members of the media interested in filming the removal or in interviewing members participating in the removal are requested to contact Chief Petty Officer NyxoLyno Cangemi at D5DE@uscg.mil.

BOSTON — Cape Cod and Rhode Island-based Coast Guard members are scheduled to participate in a maritime security exercise Thursday, at the Hyline Cruises ferry terminal in Hyannis.

The exercise will test plans, procedures and tactics of federal, state, and local area agencies in response to a transportation security incident.

More than 100 participants from five agencies are expected to participate in the exercise, including Hyline Cruises personnel.

Participating agencies include: U.S. Coast Guard, Massachusetts State Police, Barnstable County Sheriff's Office, Barnstable Police, and multiple Cape Cod-based police department personnel.

The exercise scenario will begin at about 8 a.m. and focus on the response and recovery of an attack on a passenger ferry, and will allow all participating agencies to test their security plans during an incident of this nature.

Media inquiries should be referred to Lt. Jarrod Pomajzl, Sector Southeastern New England public affairs officer, at (508) 457-3264.

Julie Gascon, the Canadian Coast Guard assistant commissioner for the Central and Arctic Region, stands with Rear Adm. June Ryan, the commander of the Coast Guard 9th District, Oct. 20, 2015, at the Coast Guard 9th District headquarters in the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal building in Cleveland. Gascon and Ryan were meeting as part of the 2015 Great Lakes International Icebreaking Meeting. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher M. Yaw)		Members of the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards discuss plans for upcoming icebreaking operations during the 2015 Great Lakes International Icebreaking Meeting held Oct. 19-21, 2015, at the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in Cleveland. Members reviewed lessons learned from previous icebreaking seasons and shared the status of forces, new policies and guidance for the upcoming season. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher M. Yaw)
Members of the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards discuss plans for upcoming icebreaking operations during the 2015 Great Lakes International Icebreaking Meeting held Oct. 20-21, 2015, at the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in Cleveland. Members reviewed lessons learned from previous icebreaking seasons and shared the status of forces, new policies and guidance for the upcoming season. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher M. Yaw)		Lt. Cmdr. Cary Godwin, the commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay, and Doug Sharp and Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Lisner, both with the Coast Guard 9th District’s Waterways Management Branch, discuss operations during the 2015 Great Lakes International Icebreaking Meeting held Oct. 20-21, 2015, at the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in Cleveland. The meeting was held to review previous ice season lessons learned and to discuss new policies and guidance for the upcoming season. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher M. Yaw)

CLEVELAND — The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards along with other federal and industry representatives met at the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in Cleveland Tuesday and Wednesday for the 2015 Great Lakes International Icebreaking Meeting.

The meeting was held to review the previous ice season and lessons learned, and to share the status of forces, new policies and guidance for the upcoming 2015-2016 icebreaking season.

The Great Lakes icebreaking season is divided into two separate operations conducted via international cooperation and close coordination between U.S. and Canadian crews to tackle extreme ice conditions across the Great Lakes.

Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, plans and runs Operation Taconite, an ice breaking operation facilitating the flow of commerce across Lakes Superior and Michigan, the northern half of Lake Huron, the St. Marys River and the Straits of Mackinac.

The 2014-2015 operation spanned 122 days, utilized seven U.S. Coast Guard and three Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers, devoted more than 3,000 hours breaking ice for convoys and assisted in 677 commercial vessel transits to move an estimated 23.7 million tons of dry bulk and liquid cargoes with an estimated value of $829 million.

These crucial commodities sustain industrial production and power generation for the Great Lakes region during the winter months. Icebreakers provided direct assistance for 353 of the transits.

An additional 3,658 hours of icebreaking established and maintained tracks through the ice-choked waterways of Georgian Bay, Straits of Mackinac, Green Bay, southern Lake Michigan, St. Marys River, and across Lake Superior.

Coast Guard Sector Detroit coordinates Operation Coal Shovel, an ice breaking operation facilitating the flow of commerce across southern Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair and Detroit River systems, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. It commenced January 9, 2015, and concluded April 17, 2015.

Operation Coal Shovel spanned 100 consecutive days and included 2,430 hours of U.S. icebreaking. During the season, Operation Coal Shovel facilitated 153 vessel transits that moved a total 29 million tons of cargo worth more than $2 billion. Coast Guard icebreakers also provided emergency flood mitigation for five communities.

SEATTLE — Coast Guard crews aided two mariners aboard a 41-foot sailing vessel that ran aground at the entrance to Willapa Bay near Tokeland, Wednesday.

Incident Management Division personnel from Coast Guard Sector Columbia River in Warrenton, Ore., are consulting with the owner to determine the best course of action regarding the grounded vessel.

The vessel had reportedly experienced electrical issues and lost GPS and radar while sailing up the coast from Coos Bay, Ore.

Sector Columbia River watchstanders received a distress call around 6:07 a.m. from the owner of the sailing vessel Ronan after it had gone aground near the Willapa Bay entrance.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, Ore., and a 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Station Grays Harbor launched in response.

The aircrew was unable to hoist due to the position and unpredictable motions of the vessel. A rescue swimmer was lowered onto the nearby beach, where he safely escorted the two mariners from the vessel to the shore.

"As unstable conditions grew, the crew of the sailing vessel had the proper survival suits and life jackets to don when it came time to abandon ship," said Senior Chief Petty Officer Joseph Dalida, command duty officer at Sector Columbia River. "The last place you want to be when you find out you don't have the proper safety equipment is in an emergency."

The weather on scene was reported as an air temperature of 47 degrees and water temperature of 57 degrees, with 10 mph winds.

SEATTLE --  Coast Guard crews and local agencies are responding to a report of a possible man overboard from the Washington State Ferry Puyallup in Puget Sound, Wednesday.

A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Seattle, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Sea Lion, an 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boat homeported in Port Angeles, Bainbridge Island Police Department, Seattle Fire and Police Departments are involved in the search.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received the initial report from a ferry passenger at 5 p.m.

Weather on scene is reportedly air temperature of 62 degrees, water temperature of 65 degrees and 6 mph winds.

SEATTLE — The Coast Guard suspended their search for a possible man overboard after confirming with ferry staff no one had gone missing from their vessel during it's sailing in Puget Sound, Wash., Wednesday around 7:47 p.m.

Washington State Ferry personnel reviewed their videotapes, finding no sign of a passenger going overboard, and confirmed no items, bike or car had been left aboard.

Coast Guard and local response crews, which included the Seattle Harbor Patrol and Fire Boat Leschi, conducted nine searches and covered more than 141 square miles during search efforts.

"With the assistance of local responders and the ferry staff we were able to determine no one was in the water," said Chief Petty Officer Brandy McNeal, command duty officer at the Coast Guard 13th District command center in Seattle. "We treat every report as a matter of life and death and it's with our strong agency partnerships we're able to make knowledgeable determinations so our members and assets are ready and available for that next call."

Initial release can be found here.

CAPE LOOKOUT, N.C. — The Coast Guard medevaced a 15-year-old girl Thursday off a sailboat south of Cape Lookout.

Sector North Carolina watchstanders were notified at 4 a.m. that the teen was showing signs of an allergic reaction aboard the 125-foot sailboat Liberty Clipper 20 miles south of Cape Lookout.

A 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew launched from Station Fort Macon with EMS personnel aboard and arrived on scene at 5:04 a.m. The teen and an adult were transferred to the Coast Guard boat where EMS provided care en route to Station Fort Macon. The Coast Guard crew moored at Station Fort Macon at 6 a.m. and transferred the teen to awaiting EMS personnel for transport to Carteret General Hospital in Morehead City.

For breaking news, follow the Fifth District on Twitter @USCGMidAtlantic.

SEATTLE — The Coast Guard suspended the search for a missing fisherman after the fisherman contacted the Coast Guard and confirmed he was safe and headed back to Westport, Thursday.

The Coast Guard has recalled assets involved in the search, which included the crews of Coast Guard Cutter Wahoo, an 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boat homeported in Port Angeles, the Coast Guard Cutter Alert, a 210-foot Medium Endurance Cutter homeported in Warrenton, Oregon, a Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion aircrew from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and a CC-115 Buffalo aircraft from the Royal Canadian 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron in Comox, British Columbia.

The fisherman received the Urgent Marine Information Broadcast Coast Guard Sector Columbia River personnel were transmitting over VHF-FM channel 16 and contacted them around 10:35 a.m. when he was 30 miles offshore of Westport.

“We’re both ecstatic to find to find the fisherman okay and proud of the outstanding coordination efforts made across the Coast Guard 13th and 11th districts, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and RCC Victoria,” said Mark Dobney, command duty officer at Sector Columbia River. “This situation also highlights the importance of filing a float plan and informing those you’ve notified if that plan changes.”

The initial release can be found here.

U.S. Coast Guard photos by Petty Officer 3rd Class Melissa McKenzie and Petty Officer 2nd Class Tara Molle.

HONOLULU — “Full operating capability” has been achieved on shared infrastructure designed by State of Hawaii and U.S. Coast Guard engineering professionals to provide robust and survivable communication links and facilities throughout Hawaii.  

The ANUENUE Interisland Digital Microwave Network consists of high-capacity microwave links, radio towers, and facility buildings that interconnect and support the systems and networks relied upon by first responders, search and rescue, law enforcement, emergency services, and critical government operations. Twelve ANUENUE “high sites” located on mountain tops — many at remote locations — connect with eight sites located at state office buildings and Coast Guard properties.

Gov. David Y. Ige, state Chief Information Officer Todd Nacapuy, and Capt. James Jenkins, Coast Guard 14th District Chief of Staff, gathered today in executive chambers to celebrate the completion of this joint project that has been many years in the making, as well as to recommit to the cooperative effort it represents. 

“A shared vision and trust between the State of Hawaii and Coast Guard resulted in a partnership that shares resources and capabilities to achieve a common goal of protecting and serving the people of Hawaii,” Gov. Ige said. “As a result, Hawaii is more secure and better prepared for emergencies.”

“The ANUENUE Network is a testimony to the superb relationship between the U.S. Coast Guard and the State of Hawaii,” Capt. Jenkins said. “This vital system enhances the effectiveness and resiliency of communications among the entire first responder team during both routine operations and for emergent threats such as hurricanes and other natural disasters.”

The ANUENUE was designed to survive disasters, natural or otherwise. Its towers and buildings are designed to survive the 155 mph winds of a Category 4 hurricane, generators are ready to run for a week without commercial power, and earthquake Zone 4 rated backbone facilities are located away from tsunami inundation zones. Backbone towers range in size from 50 to 180-feet tall and support microwave dish antennas as large as 15 feet in diameter. The microwave radio backbone provides a secure 155-Mbit/s SONET connection across the state.  

ANUENUE replaced the Rainbow Microwave System, a technologically outdated predecessor that initiated the concept of shared communications infrastructure and fostered the cooperation and resource sharing critical to the current success. State support of the ANUENUE started with an initial appropriation by the Legislature in 2001 for radio site construction. The state’s total $19.1 million investment in ANUENUE facilities and equipment was significantly extended by the Coast Guard contribution to the partnership. The cooperation of county agencies, private land owners, and other federal agencies, especially the Federal Aviation Administration, also helped move the project forward.

In addition, facilities on Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii were built or refurbished to minimize impacts to sensitive areas and view planes and to be environmentally friendly. 

ANUENUE is jointly managed by the Coast Guard Base Honolulu C4IT Division, which is based on Sand Island, and the state Department of Accounting and General Services’ Information and Communication Services Division (ICSD), which is overseen by the CIO. As part of the ANUENUE agreement, the Coast Guard C4IT Division maintains all of the system’s radios and electronic equipment.

State users of the ANUENUE include the Statewide Shared Blended land mobile radio system; Maritime Wireless Network System; Hawaii Emergency Management Agency; and the Departments of Public Safety, Transportation, Health, and Land and Natural Resources. State sponsored users include the County of Maui Police Department and other agencies of all counties. 

The Coast Guard’s primary use of the ANUENUE is its new Rescue 21 maritime distress radio system, which has commissioned 10 remote sites in Hawaii providing significantly improved coverage and location capabilities over the recently retired National Distress System used to locate mariners in distress. Coast Guard-sponsored federal users include the U.S. Army Pacific Land Mobile Radio System, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Emergency Weather Broadcast System, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and National Park Service.

For more information on the project please contact Keith DeMello, Senior Communications Manager, Office of Enterprise Technology Services at 808-586-1920 ext. 325 or 808-594-3645 mobile.

For more information on the Coast Guard's role and responsibilities please contact Lt. Cmdr. Warren Wright, Chief of External Affairs, Coast Guard 14th District at 808-535-3236 or 808-927-6805 mobile.