A grounded fishing vessel taking on water in Sukhoi Bay, off the tip of Kodiak Island, got an assist on Thursday, June 18, from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew arrived on scene in midafternoon and lowered dewatering equipment and a rescue swimmer to the 52-foot F/V Stormie B, whose crew was able to use the dewatering equipment to control flooding.
There were no reports of injuries or pollution, Coast Guard officials said. Cause of the grounding is under investigation.
Weather conditions at the time were four-foot seas, 23 mph winds and nine miles visibility.
Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector Anchorage Command Center overheard a broken, unreadable high frequency radio communication from Stormie B at 2:23 p.m. and responded in less than an hour.
Good Samaritan fishing vessel Buccaneer arrived on scene shortly after Coast Guard rescuers and stayed in the area to maintain communication. The Stormie B’s owner was working with local salvage resources on a salvage plan.
