This Day in Coast Guard History – Oct. 30
Thursday, October 29, 2009
1956-CGC Chincoteague manning Ocean Station Delta in the North Atlantic, received a distress message that the German freighter Helgs Bolten was taking on water and wished to abandon ship as soon as possible. After reaching the scene some hours later, the cutter found that the high winds and 25-foot seas made it impossible to launch lifeboats. Two inflatable lifeboats, therefore, were passed by shot line to the freighter, and the 33 crewmen aboard were removed to the cutter unharmed. Chincoteague then stood by the drifting vessel for seven days, while commercial tugs made salvage attempts. All of the survivors returned on board the cutter to Norfolk, Virginia, while a tug towed Helg Bolten to the Azores.
1991-CGC Tamaroa attempted to rescue three persons on board the disabled sailing vessel Satori 75 miles south of Martha's Vineyard during a severe winter storm. Tamaroa launched an RHI which was damaged by the tossing Satori as it drew near the crippled sailing vessel. HH-3F CG-1493 hoisted the RHI's crew as well as the three on board Satori to safety. Tamaroa was then diverted to rescue the crew of a downed Air National Guard H-60. See 31 October entry below.
(Source: USCG Historian’s Office)
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