CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A 49-year-old man was rescued by the Coast Guard and Corpus Christi Harbor Patrol after his sailboat capsized in Corpus Christi Bay, Saturday evening.

The Coast Guard was called by a good Samaritan at 6:47 p.m., who witnessed a 13-foot Sunfish sailboat capsize in Corpus Christi Bay. Coast Guard and Harbor Patrol crews conducted an extensive search, initially finding only a child's life preserver. At 7:50 p.m., a Harbor Patrol crew pulled the 49-year-old owner of the sailboat from the water. He confirmed he was the only person aboard the sailboat. He was not wearing a life jacket.

"Lifejackets do not do boaters any good when a boat capsizes unless they are wearing them," said Lt. Cmdr. Kristi Bernstein, search and rescue mission cooridinator of Sector Corpus Christi. "Please, wear your lifejacket. Although this person did have a lifejacket in the boat, he did not have enough time to put it on when his sailboat capsized unexpectedly. He was treading water for over an hour, and we are all grateful that a good Samaritan called when they did. I am very pleased with the responsiveness of our team to find him. Please, be safe this summer. Wear your life jacket."

Coast Guard crews searched aboard a 45-foot Response Boat — Medium from Station Port Aransas and an MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter from Air Station Corpus Christi. The sailboat was brought back to port, and the owner was released from Station Port Aransas with no medical concerns.

JUNEAU, Alaska — The Coast Guard suspended the active search for the third of three boaters from a sunken 24-foot recreational vessel near Baranof Island, Saturday night.

Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews, A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Kodiak, the Coast Guard Cutter Chandeleur, a Canadian coast guard DeHavilland Dash 8 operated by a Transport Canada crew, a Civil Air Patrol airplane crew and good Samaritans aboard several fishing vessels conducted multiple searches totaling 47 hours between them and covering more than 1,224 square miles in the vicinity of the island and Redfish Bay from Friday morning to Saturday night.

A survivor was rescued from the beach at Cape Ommaney by good Samaritans aboard the fishing vessel Otter Friday morning and taken to Sitka in good condition. Good Samaritans aboard another fishing vessel located one of the two missing boaters in the water, unresponsive, late Saturday afternoon. That boater was recovered and flown to Air Station Sitka aboard the Jayhawk helicopter and transferred to emergency medical personnel. Rescue crews also located debris from the vessel. The third boater remains missing.

“Suspending a case is one of the hardest decisions that we as search and rescuers have to make and our thoughts and prayers are with the families,” said Scott Giard, a command duty officer with Coast Guard Sector Juneau. “We appreciate the support of our partner agencies and good Samaritans to put as many resources on scene as possible and maximize our chances of locating these boaters.”

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Juneau received a report of the people in the water from the survivor of the sinking over VHF-FM Channel 16 radio Friday morning following his rescue. The watchstanders immediately issued an urgent marine information broadcast requesting the assistance of mariners in the area and directed the launch of the Jayhawk helicopter and cutter crews.

The survivor reported the aluminum drop bow landing craft they were using sank at about 8 p.m. Thursday night while en route a hunting and fishing trip and that all three people had attempted to swim to shore wearing float coats.

Weather conditions on scene during the search were reportedly 12 to 23 mph winds and 4 to 6-foot seas with good visibility. The water temperature for Southeast Alaska in August is in the 50s.

Stock B-Roll video of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter off the coast of Long Beach, Calif., March 18, 2012. Coast Guard crews from Air Station Corpus Christi are using the same type of helicopter to search for the missing man. U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 1st Class Adam Eggers.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Coast Guard and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department crews are searching Saturday for a man overdue from a fishing trip in San Antonio Bay.

Missing is Joseph Ames, 62. He is 5-foot 7-inches tall, approximately 175 pounds, has grey hair and was wearing fishing attire.

Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders received a report at 3:17 p.m. Friday, reporting the overdue man in the Port O’Connor area. The TPWD crews found his boat in San Antonio Bay at 5:50 p.m. with no sign of Ames aboard. His boat was anchored and a mobile phone was found without power. Coast Guard crews are currently searching along with TPWD crews.

Crews from the sector have conducted multiple searches with the MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter, an HU-25 Falcon jet and a 24-foot boat from Station Port O’Connor.

“We are saturating the search area along the San Antonio Bay with assets both on the surface and in the air,” said Lt. Tyrone Conner, the sector public affairs officer. “Mr. Joseph Ames and his family are in our thoughts as we take great care in conducting the search."

Anyone with additional information is requested to contact the Sector Corpus Christi Command Center at (231) 939-6393 or contact their local police department. For additional information about the on-going case, please contact Lt. Tyrone Conner at (361) 438-0176.

A boatcrew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat — Medium, tows a disabled boat and two people to safety. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Erica Butler.

HOUSTON — The crew of a sailboat found and helped tow a disabled boat and two people to safety Saturday off Freeport.

The sailboat crew didn't have enough fuel to tow them all the way to shore and notified the Coast Guard before getting them to an oil platform, about 20 miles offshore, to tie off.

A boatcrew from Station Freeport met them at the platform and towed them to Bridge Bait marina in Freeport.

Search and rescue watch standers at the Sector Command Center instructed the boaters to put on their life jackets and then quickly dispatched rescue resources including boats from Station Los Angeles, Baywatch Marina Del Rey and Baywatch Cabrillo, and a helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Los Angeles.

Rescue crews arrived and placed a dewatering pump aboard the boat. Two Coast Guard crew members and a Baywatch lifeguard boarded the boat and dewatered it using the pump. Baywatch took the vessel in tow to Marina Del Rey. The vessel was safely moored at 3:20 a.m., and no medical assistance was needed for the persons on board.

The marine environment can be unpredictable and unforgiving. This case is an example of how carrying proper safety equipment, a reliable means of communication and knowing how to use them, can keep
boaters safe if they are faced with an emergency at sea.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Four people were rescued by the Coast Guard after their 23-foot recreational boat capsized eight miles west of Clearwater Pass, Sunday.

A person aboard the boat contacted Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders at 9:48 a.m., via VHF-FM radio channel 16, yelling Mayday several times.

"Using Rescue 21's fixed postion we were able to pinpoint their location of distress," said Petty Officer 1st Class Ronnie Leavell, a search and rescue coordinator at the sector. 

Sector watchstanders launched a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Sand Key to the scene of distress. Once on scene, the boatcrew plucked four mariners from the water. Their vessel has been marked as a hazard to navigation, but no pollution concerns have been reported.

"Thankfully, all four were wearing their life jackets," said Leavell. "This case could of turned out much differently if they didn't take proper precautions."

All four where taken to Station Sand Key for a post incident debriefing. No injuries were reported.

*** Editors Note - Click thumbnail below to hear audio of the distress call.

DALY CITY, Calif., - The Coast Guard conducted an emergency rescue for an injured hiker on the coastal cliffs near Mussel Rock early Sunday morning.

The San Mateo County Fire Department requested the Coast Guard’s assistance to search for the missing hiker. The Coast Guard launched a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station San Francisco at approximately 6:15 a.m. to support search efforts alongside the fire department. The helicopter crew located the hiker inside a sea cave after making several search passes in the vicinity of Mussel Rock.

With the tide coming in, the helicopter crew lowered a rescue swimmer into the water. The swimmer noticed the man had serious back injuries, lacerations, and a fractured femur. The rescue swimmer and helicopter crew worked together to safely evacuate the man from the flooding cave, hoisting him into the helicopter. 

The helicopter transported the injured hiker to awaiting paramedics near the rescue site.   

“The Coast Guard trains routinely for cliff and shoreline rescues,” said Cmdr. Harper Phillips, operations officer at Air Station San Francisco. “It is important when hiking to be careful, aware of your surroundings at all times and stay away from steep cliffs, especially near the water.”

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka locates and hoists two hunters during a search and rescue mission near Klawock, Alaska, Sept. 1, 2013. The Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers and and Klawock Search and Rescue worked together to find the men after they were reported overdue from a hunting trip. U.S. Coast Guard video by Air Station Sitka.

JUNEAU, Alaska — The Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers and Klawock Search and Rescue assisted two missing hunters near Klawock, Saturday. 

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka located the two men in good condition and transported them to a search staging location in Klawock set up by search parties on the ground. 

Coast Guard Sector Juneau command center watchstanders received a request for assistance from Alaska State Troopers late Saturday night to search for the two hunters who were reportedly late returning from a deer hunting trip.  Sector Juneau watchstanders directed the launch of the Jayhawk crew to search for the men.

The men reportedly contacted their families to let them know they were hiking back to their truck Friday morning. The family contacted authorities when the men failed to check back in. Both men were reported to be experienced hunters and familiar with the area where they were hunting.  

“This case owes its success to cooperation with our partner search and rescue agencies and to the planning of the two hunters,” said Vince Gorchowski, a Sector Juneau watchstander. “These men did the right thing by telling their families where they’d be hunting and staying in contact with them during their trip, and that information told search crews exactly where to look and helped us to quickly resolve this mission and bring these men home safe.”

For more information about this case, please contact Coast Guard Public Affairs at 907-227-9248.

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – Coast Guard boat and air crews are searching the Atlantic Ocean about 24 miles east of Ponce De Leon Inlet in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Monday for a diver who was not seen resurfacing and for the owner of a kayak that was found overturned.

Crew aboard the fishing vessel Yellowfin used a VHF-FM marine radio at 11:09 a.m., to report to Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector Jacksonville in Atlantic Beach that it had been about one hour since a 28-year-old man dived from the boat with 30 minutes of oxygen, and he had not resurfaced.

A Coast Guard aircrew aboard a C-130 Hercules plane from Air Station Clearwater, Fla., was conducting training nearby and diverted to begin searching for the diver. While en route to the search area, the aircrew spotted an approximately 10-foot long kayak with a white hull overturned about 10 miles from their intended destination.

The aircrew aboard the C-130 searched the area around the overturned kayak, left to refuel and is scheduled to return to the area to continue searching.

Searching for the missing diver are a boatcrew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat – Medium from Coast Guard Station Ponce De Leon Inlet and an aircrew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Clearwater.

Watchstanders at Sector Jacksonville are broadcasting a message for boaters in the area to keep a lookout. Crews have not found signs of the missing mariners at either location.

The Atlantic Beach-based Coast Guard Cutter Diamondback and the Miami Beach-based Coast Guard Cutter Sitkinak are slated to join the search also.

Anyone with information on the kayak is urged to contact the Sector Jacksonville command center at (904) 564-7516.

CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard assisted two people aboard a boat that was taking on water five miles north of Windsor, Ontario in Lake St. Clair early Monday afternoon.

The names and hometowns of the individuals rescued are not being released, and there is no Coast Guard imagery.

At around 12:15 p.m., a search-and-rescue coordinator, from Coast Guard Sector Detroit, received a distress call, via VHF-FM channel 16, from a good Samaritan reporting a boat with two people aboard was taking on water.

Upon receiving the call, the SAR coordinator issued an urgent marine information broadcast and directed the launch of a rescue boatcrew from Coast Guard Station St. Clair Shores.

The rescue boatcrew aboard a 25-foot Response Boat-Small arrived on scene at around 12:40 and immediately started dewatering the 30-foot vessel using a P-6 pumpl. A boatcrew from the Canadian Coast Guard arrived on scene shortly after 1 p.m., and also assisted the distressed boaters.

“This rescue was a prime example of our great working relationship with the Canadian Coast Guard,” said Petty Officer 3^rd Class Zach Ogden, the coxswain of the 25-foot RB-S. “The rescue crews worked seamlessly together and because of that we were able to get both people and their boat to shore safely.”

A boatcrew member from the U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard operated the Coast Guard’s P-6 pump aboard the vessel as it made way toward a marina in Windsor. The remaining boatcrew members escorted the vessel.

The cause of the flooding was believed to be a crack in the hull of the boat.

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – Coast Guard boat and air crews are continuing to search the Atlantic Ocean about 24 miles east of Ponce De Leon Inlet in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., for a diver who was not seen resurfacing; the separate search that began after a kayak was found overturned nearby was suspended Monday night.

Crew aboard the fishing vessel Yellowfin used a VHF-FM marine radio at 11:09 a.m., to report to Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector Jacksonville in Atlantic Beach that it had been about one hour since a 28-year-old man dived from the boat with 30 minutes of oxygen, and he had not resurfaced.

A Coast Guard aircrew aboard a C-130 Hercules plane from Air Station Clearwater, Fla., was conducting training nearby and diverted to begin searching for the diver. While en route to the search area, the aircrew spotted an approximately 10-foot long kayak with a white hull overturned about 10 miles from their intended destination.

Coast Guard air and boat crews conducted separate searches and haven't found any signs of the missing mariners at either location. 

Sector Jacksonville has not received any reports of overdue kayakers, and there is no owner information on the overturned kayak. It is unknown if anyone was in the kayak when it overturned or where it came from, so the search for a possible missing kayaker was suspended at 6:53 p.m.

The C-130 aircrew and the crew of the Miami Beach-based Coast Guard Cutter Sitkinak are continuing to search for the missing diver. The Atlantic Beach-based Coast Guard Cutter Diamondback will join the search about 10:00 p.m., and will continue to search through the night.

An MH-65C Dolphin helicopter sits on the tarmac outside of Coast Guard Air Facility Muskegon, Mich., located at the Muskegon County Airport, July 27, 2012. The air facility is operated by aircrews from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit as a seasonal facility, providing increased search-and-rescue capabilities and faster response throughout the Lake Michigan area from Memorial Day through Labor Day. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Air Station Detroit		Coast Guard Air Facility Muskegon, Mich., located at the Muskegon County Airport, is photographed July 27, 2012. The air facility is operated by aircrews from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit as a seasonal facility, providing increased search-and-rescue capabilities and faster response throughout the Lake Michigan area from Memorial Day through Labor Day. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Air Station Detroit

CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard's Great Lakes air stations closed their seasonal air facilities in Muskegon, Mich., and Waukegan, Ill., Tuesday following their annual assignment to support Coast Guard operations in southern Lake Michigan and the surrounding areas.

The air facilities operate during the traditional boating season, which runs from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, to provide enhanced search and rescue services due to the high volume of summer boaters off Chicago, Milwaukee and other southern Lake Michigan areas.

Both air facilities opened this year on May 24, 2013, prior to Memorial Day. 

Air Facility Muskegon, which falls under the command of Coast Guard Air Station Detroit, is located at Muskegon County Airport, while Air Facility Waukegan, falling under Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Mich., is located at Waukegan Regional Airport.  Both air facilities are staffed by aircrews deployed from their parent air station and maintain two aircrews and one MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter to provide search and rescue services 24 hours a day during the summer months.

Air Facility Waukegan responded to 19 search-and-rescue cases this summer, while Air Facility Muskegon responded to 14.

"Air Facility Waukegan enhances the Coast Guard's search-and-rescue coverage of southwestern Lake Michigan during the busy summer months, especially the greater Chicago and Milwaukee areas,” said Cmdr. Sean M. Cross, commanding officer of Air Station Traverse City. 

“Our crews gain experience flying in and around the busy metropolitan air corridors and also benefit from working with Coast Guard shore units and partner agencies in the area. Although the air facility has closed for the winter, the men and women of Air Station Traverse City stand ready to respond when needed throughout our area of responsibility — lakes Michigan, Superior and Huron."

Air Station Traverse City is a year-round Coast Guard facility established in 1946 and located on the southern end of Grand Traverse Bay in northern Michigan. It is staffed with 135 personnel and five MH-65C Dolphin helicopters. Air Station Detroit is a year-round Coast Guard facility established in 1966 and located approximately 13 miles northeast of the Detroit city limits, on the shores of Lake St. Clair. It is staffed with 115 personnel and five MH-65C Dolphin helicopters.

Both air stations operate under the direction of the 9th Coast Guard District, headquartered in Cleveland, to provide multi-mission capabilities in the Great Lakes region.

“The summer boating season is coming to a close,” said Cmdr. Joseph Deer, commanding officer of Air Station Detroit. “It has been a pleasure working alongside and serving the Lake Michigan boating public. As temperatures decrease this fall season, please take additional precautions if you are going out on the water.”

Now that Labor Day has passed and the the traditional boating season has come to a close, the Coast Guard encourages those who continue to recreate on the Great Lakes, to follow these boating safety tips. The Coast Guard also reminds boaters to take proper precautions as the air and water temperatures start to decrease throughout the Great Lakes. Although the winter is still several months away, the Coast Guard also recommends that Great Lakes recreaters consider preparing for the cold water and ice season by following these coldwater and ice tips.

For further media inquiries, please contact the 9^th Coast Guard District’s public affairs office at 216-902-6020.

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – The Coast Guard is continuing to search Tuesday for the diver who was reported missing during a dive Monday morning about 24 miles east of Ponce De Leon Inlet in New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

Missing is Ryan Myers, 28, of Maitland, Fla.

The crew of the Atlantic Beach-based Coast Guard Cutter Diamondback and a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., H-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew are currently searching the area. The crew of an Air Station Clearwater-based C-130 Hercules plane is en route. Additionally, a boatcrew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat – Medium from Station Ponce De Leon Inlet is providing a safety escort for a group of private citizens who organized a dive search of the area.

Involved in the search so far have been two Hercules aircrews and two Jayhawk helicopter crews from Air Station Clearwater, an RB-M boatcrew from Station Ponce De Leon Inlet, and crews from the Coast Guard Cutters Diamondback and Sitkinak.

The search began after one of the people aboard the vessel Yellowfin notified watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville at 11:09 a.m. Monday that Myers dived from the boat with 30 minutes of oxygen in his tank about 40 minutes prior and was not seen resurfacing. Jeffrey Wayne Pries, 44, and another man were aboard the Yellowfin with Myers. All three men were diving, but reportedly submerged at different times.

Pries reported Myers is an experienced diver with the appropriate certifications for the conditions in which he was diving.

BALTIMORE — The Coast Guard is scheduled to establish a temporary security zone Thursday in designated waters of the Baltimore Inner Harbor.

The security zone will be in effect Thursday from 5 p.m. until midnight, and will limit navigation by commercial traffic and prohibit recreational waterway users.

The security zone will include all waters of Baltimore Harbor, Baltimore's Inner Harbor, from shoreline to shoreline and has an eastern boundary extending from the Baltimore National Aquarium to the Rusty Scupper.

Entering or operating in the security zone is prohibited unless authorized by the captain of the port of Baltimore. Vessels already at berth, mooring or anchor at the time the security zone is implemented are not required to depart the security zone.

"Recognizing the temporary safety and security zone will affect mariners transiting the Inner Harbor: we have coordinated closely with our inter-agency and port partners to minimize the impact during the NFL Kickoff event," said Lt. Michael McGrail, the Enforcement Division chief at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore.

To seek permission to transit the area, call 410-576-2693 or use marine-band radio via VHF-FM channel 16.

CORRECTION: The previous press release incorrectly stated all three men aboard the Yellowfin were diving. Only Ryan Myers and Jeffrey Wayne Pries were diving. The third man remained aboard the vessel. Please disregard the previous press release and use this one instead. We apologize for any inconvenience.

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – The Coast Guard is continuing to search Tuesday for the diver who was reported missing during a dive Monday morning about 24 miles east of Ponce De Leon Inlet in New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

Missing is Ryan Myers, 28, of Maitland, Fla.

The crew of the Atlantic Beach-based Coast Guard Cutter Diamondback and a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., H-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew are currently searching the area. The crew of an Air Station Clearwater-based C-130 Hercules plane is en route. Additionally, a boatcrew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat – Medium from Station Ponce De Leon Inlet is providing a safety escort for a group of private citizens who organized a dive search of the area.

Involved in the search so far have been two Hercules aircrews and two Jayhawk helicopter crews from Air Station Clearwater, an RB-M boatcrew from Station Ponce De Leon Inlet, and crews from the Coast Guard Cutters Diamondback and Sitkinak.

The search began after one of the people aboard the vessel Yellowfin notified watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville at 11:09 a.m. Monday that Myers dived from the boat with 30 minutes of oxygen in his tank about 40 minutes prior and was not seen resurfacing. Jeffrey Wayne Pries, 44, and another man were aboard the Yellowfin with Myers. Myers and Pries were diving and the third man remained aboard the vessel.

Pries reported Myers is an experienced diver with the appropriate certifications for the conditions in which he was diving.

For video of the medical personnel being hoisted to the ship, click the photo below or follow this link: http://www.dvidshub.net/video/300300/coast-guard-assists-with-baby-delivery-sea

SAN DIEGO — U.S. Coast Guard members assisted in delivering a baby aboard a cargo ship approximately 100 miles southwest of San Diego Monday evening.

An aircrew from Coast Guard Sector San Diego transported a Coast Guard flight surgeon and civilian midwife to the ship to help delivery the baby girl, who was born at approximately 7:50 p.m.

The crew of the Caribbean Highway, a Panamanian-flagged vehicle carrier, contacted the Coast Guard at approximately 9 a.m., requesting assistance for a 21-year-old crewmember who was in labor.

The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched from Sector San Diego at approximately 5:20 p.m., to transport the medical personnel to the ship.

Once aboard the ship, the doctor and midwife assisted the woman, a citizen of the Philippines, with delivery of the baby.

The ship continued toward San Diego through the night and arrived at 2 a.m., Tuesday.

The mother and baby were taken to Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for further care.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Coast Guard Station Jones Beach assisted a fishing vessel in distress with four people aboard off Jones Inlet, N.Y., Monday night.

Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound watchstanders received a “mayday” call on VHF-FM Channel 16 from the Terry Lee, a 46-foot commercial fishing vessel, at 9:35 p.m. The vessel’s operator reported they were disabled and rapidly taking on water approximately 1 mile east of Jones Inlet, N.Y. through a ruptured pipe below decks and needed assistance.

Coast Guard communication watch standers at Sector Long Island Sound utilized their Rescue 21 radio direction finding equipment to pinpoint the location of the distressed vessel. Sector Long Island Sound issued an urgent marine information broadcast requesting any mariners in the vicinity help if possible.  A Coast Guard Station Jones Beach 47-foot motor lifeboat crew and Hempstead Bay Constables responded along with marine and aviation units from the Nassau County Police.  A Nassau County Police helicopter first sighted the vessel, confirmed their position, and guided the Coast Guard responders to them.

On scene, two Coast Guard members boarded the Terry Lee and began to assist the crew in dewatering the vessel.  Once the flooding was under control, the Coast Guard towed the vessel and crew to safety at Point Lookout, N.Y..

“The vessel operator did the right thing by notifying the Coast Guard as soon as the situation on board became untenable,” said Cmdr.  Jonathan Theel, the Chief of Response at Sector Long Island Sound. “It is better for the Coast Guard to be involved early, rather than having to search for mariners in the water after they have had to abandon ship.”

After the necessary repairs were made and the source of the incoming water, a defective bilge pump, was secured, a Coast Guard engineer helped the Terry Lee crew restart the engines and the vessel was able to resume operations and return under their own power to their homeport. 

Adm. Jake Korn presented Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Costello the Fireman First Class Paul Clark Boat Forces Engineer Award September 3, 2013, at Coast Guard Station Islamorada, Fla. This prestigious annual award recognizes an exemplary Coast Guard boat engineer who has demonstrated sustained superior performance, proficiencies, and leadership. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Frank Parenti and Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Costello pose for a picture after Costello was awarded the Fireman First Class Paul Clark Boat Forces Engineer Award September 3, 2013, at Coast Guard Station Islamorada, Fla. Costello received the award for demonstrating exceptional devotion to duty and for sustaining high performance across the spectrum of his unit’s mission. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

MIAMI — A crewmember with Coast Guard Station Islamorada, Fla., was awarded the Fireman First Class Paul Clark Boat Forces Engineer Award Tuesday morning.

Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark A. Costello received the award for demonstrating exceptional devotion to duty and for sustaining high performance across the spectrum of his unit’s mission.

In the months leading up to the unit’s November 2012 Ready for Operations (RFO) inspection, Petty Officer Costello developed a comprehensive work list and oversaw the correction of 160 boat discrepancies. Working diligently with members of his department, as well as the first lieutenant, he ensured technicians maintained a high standard regarding the material condition of the unit’s three response boats resulting in an average boat score of 14 out of 15 points. Due to his commitment to mentoring junior members, the engineering sub-category exam averaged 92 percent. Both the material condition of the unit’s assets and standardization test results were the highest Station Islamorada received in the last six RFO inspections as well as the last three standardization inspections.

This prestigious annual award recognizes an exemplary Coast Guard boat engineer who has demonstrated sustained superior performance, proficiencies, and leadership.

The award's namesake, 'Fireman 1st Class Paul Clark', was honored with the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism while serving as engineer of a landing boat during an assault on, and occupation of, French Morocco in 1942. When a hostile aircraft strafed his boat with machinegun fire, mortally wounding the bowman and severely injuring the coxswain, Clark quickly assumed control of the craft and immediately withdrew from the beach. He sped to an offshore ship, placed the wounded men aboard and courageously returned to his station at the beach and completed his boat's mission.

For more information contact Ensign Peter Bermont at Coast Guard Sector Key West at 305-292-8744.