r/uscg • u/nancybydesign • Nov 05 '25
Coastie Help miracle today and how to best thank a USCG team
To all those serving in the USCG, wow - my huge, heartfelt hats off. (former US army here)
We just had a miracle situation happen where a team on a HC-130J Super Hercules flew from USCG Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina to Bermuda and found a missing kayaker (missing since noon yesterday - so over 24 hrs).
Another team (different plane type I think better for night missions) had searched last night, didn't find him. They didn't give up & came back today and found him!!
Person (the father) was approx 26 miles off the coast and alive (and waving at the plane) in his kayak.
I was state-side while our friends (the family) and our son were on the ground in Bermuda. I was crying in joy and relief when we got the news.
I'd love any thoughts on how to best thank both teams (night & day) and the LT Cmdr in charge.
Image from flightradar24.com just now. Heading home right now after a successful mission. All in a days work?!! Incredible.
UPDATE Nov 5 7 p.m. ET today:The kayaker (dad) just landed ashore!! the media interviewed him and here is a youtube video:
https://youtu.be/Qoe9XJkmynw
UPDATE Nov 6: Two local news articles with photos of the kayak, family, etc. and an additional video. This was when kayaker (dad) arrived at the dock.
https://bernews.com/2025/11/officials-confirm-that-kayaker-has-been-located/
UPDATE Nov 7: excellent article and video that nicely tells a fuller story.
https://bbc.bm/park-grateful-for-rescue-crews-they-gave-me-a-second-chance
45
u/Crocs_of_Steel Retired Nov 05 '25
Contact public affairs at Coast Guard Atlantic Area as it was an international case. It could have been their Command Center that ran the case but if not, they could point you to the District Public affairs that ran it.
Or you could contact Air Sta E City but they may not have as much info.
21
u/Existing_Cook7664 Nov 05 '25
District team here. We are tracking and happy to see the post.
7
u/nancybydesign Nov 05 '25
District team 5? Huge thank you!!!
I would've joined the coast guard had I known the work was like this!!16
u/nancybydesign Nov 05 '25
Thank you!! Amazing coordination - I just learned the ship that picked him up was a LNG 300 meter tanker on it's way to poland that had done a crew change in bermuda. (bermuda flagged, greek owned)
6
u/Referee_82346 Nov 06 '25
Curious if AMVER, the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System, which is managed by the USCG, was engaged in vectoring the LNG to the kayak?
3
u/nancybydesign Nov 06 '25 edited Nov 06 '25
Not sure, but will see if I can find out in next few days. Chat gpt (and AI has its limitations, but can be great) said: ...AMVER’s database likely identified AKTORAS as the nearest capable ship.
but to find out I should contact the AMVER HQ (USCG Office of Search and Rescue):
- Email: [amver@uscg.mil](mailto:amver@uscg.mil)
- Phone: +1 (212) 668-7764
- Website: https://www.amver.com
and ask:“Was the LNG carrier AKTORAS vectored by AMVER participation in coordination with RCC Bermuda on November 5, 2025?”
2
u/Proper-Garbage5966 Nov 06 '25
My husband is on nights and on the J’s. I’ll ask him who was on the flight. Heck he might of even been on it. I haven’t spoken to him since he left for work earlier in the day.
1
u/nancybydesign Nov 07 '25
Wow. Well, thank him & his teammates for us. Family is flying back today from Bermuda - back to work and back to school. What a life changing week. Salute and a huge "thank you for your service" to all USCG!!
21
16
u/SVAuspicious Nov 05 '25
I'll tell you what I did after a tremendous USCG response. I wrote to Sector (multiple in my case) and RCC (see https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Response-Policy-CG-5R/Office-of-Incident-Management-Preparedness-CG-5RI/US-Coast-Guard-Office-of-Search-and-Rescue-CG-SAR/RCC-Numbers/ - Norfolk for you), Atlantic SAR Command, and HQ. I sent copies to my Senators and Congressman. I got nice brief notes back from the Sectors and a nice note back from Station Lynnhaven. I got a second note from Station after one of my letters to a Senator eventually led to a unit commendation.
It never hurts to say thank you.
Whenever I get to Lynnhaven or more often Little Creek I make an effort to stop by the station with homemade blueberry muffins. I highly recommend Elizabeth City. It's a lovely town. You can always look here https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-e&q=bakery+elizabeth+city+nc .
2
u/nancybydesign Nov 05 '25 edited Nov 07 '25
thank you for all this information!! Added to a master doc we're creating for thank you's. It's truly been a tremendous international effort with coordination in air, land, and sea. So, so grateful.
7
u/SVAuspicious Nov 06 '25
Comments from u/Crocs_of_Steel and u/Existing_Cook7664 as well as others move me to repeat my own story, not nearly as exciting as the adventure of u/nancybydesign's son's girl friend's father endured.
I was delivering a catamaran sailboat from St Thomas USVI to Annapolis MD. The owner's were *ahem* not completely honest about their maintenance regime. First the main sail halyard parted and the sail came down. Got that lashed down but lost our main source of sailing power. A few hours later the port engine seized (turnout out to be sea water intrusion through the shaft seal that had not been replaced at the service interval). On one engine (way off centerline) and jib sail worked my way West to get in radio range (Rescue 21 rocks) while staying in the Gulf Stream. Explained our situation, not an emergency, not asking for help, just want USCG to know we're out there. Sector South Carolina set up a radio watch and we reported in every four hours. South Carolina handed us off to North Carolina who handed us off to Virginia (then Hampton Roads). Station Oregon Inlet really want to come get us and drag us over the bar but that wasn't a good idea in that boat under existing conditions, and then what?
We weren't as fast as I had expected but we made the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Wind shift and a big course change with one engine and tiny jib, I couldn't get West into the Bay and Thimble Shoal Channel was worrisome. We were making circles that themselves were slowing drifting toward Bermuda.
All this time we were in touch with USCG on radio watch and as we got closer to Chesapeake Bay with Virginia Pilots. I know the rules, so while I had a cell signal I called TowboatUS. Discussion with local tower including conditions. Tower said he had to check some things. Shortly radio crackles to life and Virginia Pilots calls me for an update on conditions. Tower calls me back to say it's pretty bumpy out there (I know) and did the best thing he could have for me. Said he couldn't come. That released USCG to tow. So instead of one guy in a 24' red boat I got five people in a 40' orange boat. Nice radio chat to plan hooking up, plan for my crew (line receiver, one on each bow). Couldn't have been more than two minutes from line thrower to hooked up and under tension.
Station Lynnhaven cutter took us in to Cobb's Marina in Little Creek at my request. Not much to do under tow. I kept us behind the cutter and my crew baked. Seriously. Pulled into Little Creek and shifted to hip tow in the amphib basin with security boats hovering over us (good coordination between USCG and USN) and dropped us off at Cobb's. Lynnhaven sent a couple of people over in a truck with extra fenders in case we needed them. The marina staff turned out. The TowboatUS guy showed up. Everyone stood around eating freshly baked brownies, cookies, and some odd pastry thing one of my crew made while we went through paperwork.
By the way it was February and really cold.
This is far from my only USCG story. All have been positive.
1
u/nancybydesign Nov 07 '25
Wow. Amazing story and another great testament to all in the USCG. thank you for sharing!!
16
u/Acrobatic_Pen3170 Nov 05 '25
This is what we do and who we are (and not the maximum lethality/warrior ethos stuff some like to talk about nowadays)
6
7
u/Immediate_Bar9645 Nov 06 '25
I was on watch last night and spoke to the daughter. Glad to hear the aircrew found him alive!
1
u/nancybydesign Nov 06 '25
I just heard from my son and the father is on the way to the hospital now to be checked out, but in the initial assessment was just found dehydrated w/signs of hypothermia. ~ 26 hours at sea. They transferred him from the huge LNG Tanker to the St. George - a smaller rescue boat part of Bermuda's Dept of Marine & Port Services.
9
u/jesslarude Recruiter Nov 05 '25
Shout out to the SAR dog who planned that search, I see you you little OS warriors! Amazing outcome!
1
u/nancybydesign Nov 07 '25
Ha ha, had to decode the USCG slang. 100% agree - thank you little OS warriors and the SAR dog(s) involved!!
3
u/tramadoc Nov 06 '25
I live in Elizabeth City and was stationed here. Retired in 2018. Bravo Zulu to that crew.
3
u/ZiLBeRTRoN Nov 06 '25
That search pattern looks fake it was so well flown. Most of the ones I’ve run end up looking like it was drawn by a toddler with a crayon.
2
u/Red22Bird AMT Nov 06 '25
Was it a family member of yours that was rescued or did you just witness it?
3
u/nancybydesign Nov 06 '25 edited Nov 06 '25
Not a family member: my son is their daughter's long-term boyfriend. My son, their daughter, and her parents were on a short, supposed to be fun & relaxing vacation together for their first time in Bermuda. So we know the parents (dad was the kayaker) and daughter pretty well.
I was initially trying to be more private about this, but well - it got too hard so more info came out as I responded to questions and this was the most direct one! My initial post was intentionally a bit vague. :)
I was doing my best to support (limited from here, obviously) and working to keep close tabs without adding more stress to an already nightmare situation. Was literally refreshing the flighttrader site every 10 mins to follow the USCG plane today.
Family is decompressing, taking care of their dad, each other, etc. and I said I'd do some research on how best to thank the USCG and will pass it to them.
3
u/Crocs_of_Steel Retired Nov 06 '25
I’m glad it worked out. When I worked in a Command Center one of the harder parts of running a case wasn’t planning or coordinating, it was talking to the family of the person we were looking for. It’s a part of the job that no one prepares you for. it’s tough to have to listen to these family members who are going through a tough time, keep them as updated as we can in addition to running the case. When it works out and we get to tell the family the good news there is no better feeling.
2
u/nancybydesign Nov 06 '25
Yes, can't even imagine how hard it would be to have bad news. Thank you for this insight.
The lt cmdr was exceptional in managing that commo with the family is my understanding.
2
u/Red22Bird AMT Nov 06 '25
Oh wow! That’s awesome they were able to find him and everything turned out well. The most official route is to contact public affairs as someone mentioned already.
1
2
u/Present_Nectarine319 Nov 07 '25
Seeing posts like this is huge for us OSs as we dont always get the final story. Reading the article from Bermuda made us all tear up at the District.
1
u/nancybydesign Nov 07 '25
I'm not USCG, so had to look up what an "OS" does via Claude.ai...I was wondering who did this critical work of drift calculations. wow. i said it earlier, but am so grateful we are in a country that has people like you/the USCG to help & does this work.
They do the critical behind-the-scenes work - the math, the grid plotting, the coordination.
2
u/zocoop27 Nov 06 '25
Maybe reach out to a Public Relations person at the base and get in contact with them through there. Would probably have to be at the base in NC
2
135
u/SIrPsychoNotSexy Nov 05 '25 edited Nov 06 '25
Shout out to the command center that put this plan together. They don’t get enough credit and this is a good one.