SAN PEDRO, Calif. – Members of the Coast Guard will receive a 2012 Legacy Award for oil spill prevention, preparedness and response, May 16, for their efforts during the investigation of the sunken World War II tanker ship S.S. Montebello.

Members of the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force will present the award during the Clean Pacific Conference in Long Beach, Calif.

One of six awards to be given, Coast Guard members of the S.S. Montebello Unified Command will be recognized for the operation that successfully concluded that the sunken tanker posed no threat to the California coastline and nearby marine sanctuaries.

The Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force is comprised of senior executives from environmental agencies with oil spill regulatory authority in the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii and the Province of British Columbia.

Legacy Awards are given to industry, non-profit, or public agency organizations and individuals, or for team efforts.  The Task Force gives Legacy Awards for projects, accomplishments, or leadership that demonstrate innovation, management commitment, and improvements in oil spill prevention, preparedness or response resulting in enhanced environmental protection.  Efforts to promote partnerships and involve the public are favored.

For more information on The Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force, please visit www.oilspilltaskforce.org

OXNARD, Calif. — The Coast Guard and local partner agencies will host the 7th Annual Safe Boating Expo May 12 at Coast Guard Station Channel Islands Harbor, located at 4201 S. Victoria Ave. in Oxnard, Calif.

This free event will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature rescue and boating safety demonstrations by the Coast Guard, Ventura County Sheriffs Dept., Ventura Country Fire Dept., Oxnard Fire Dept., Oxnard Police Dept., and Channel Islands Harbor Patrol.

Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the Coast Guard station, the Coast Guard Cutter Blacktip, and smaller search and rescue boats.

Vendors will demonstrate the latest in boating safety products, diving safety, fire safety, and proper CPR techniques. The latest types and styles of life jackets will also be on display.

Food and beverages will be available for sale, with the proceeds benefitting the Channel Islands Harbor youth sailing program.

To view a flyer for the 7th Annual Safe Boating Expo, click HERE.

For more information, contact U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist Henry Goldman at (805) 985-7740, or (818) 425-6123.

OXNARD, Calif. — The Coast Guard invites members of the media to tour Coast Guard Station Channel Islands Harbor and ride aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Blacktip in anticipation of the 7th Annual Safe Boating Expo.

The media event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 7 at U.S. Coast Guard Station Channel Islands Harbor, located at 4201 S. Victoria Ave., Oxnard, Calif.

The 7th Annual Safe Boating Expo, which is scheduled for May 12, is open to the public and will feature demonstrations of search and rescue, firefighting, first aid, life jackets, and proper boating practices.

Lt. Timothy McGhee, commanding officer of Station Channel Islands Harbor, and Senior Chief Petty Officer Gregory Simcic, officer-in-charge of Cutter Blacktip, will be available for interviews to discuss the importance of boating safety and the roles their crews play in executing important Coast Guard missions.

Members of the media wishing to attend the tour and/or ride along are asked to arrive at the Coast Guard Station by 9:45 a.m. May 7. Please confirm your attendance by contacting U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist Henry Goldman at (805) 985-7740, or (818) 425-6123.

To view a flyer for the 7th Annual Safe Boating Expo, click HERE.

SAN PEDRO, Calif. –The Coast Guard, state, and local responders are monitoring the clean-up of a diesel fuel spill in the “A” Basin of Marina Del Rey, Calif., May 2, 2012.

Diesel fuel spilled from an 84-foot privately owned yacht when a fitting in the fuel tank failed, causing the diesel to leak into the bilge.  The bilge pump automatically activated, sending the discharge into the water.

Coast Guard pollution investigators arrived at the site of the discharge and have identified the responsible party, who is taking steps to arrange for a swift cleanup.  The Coast Guard will supervise throughout cleanup efforts.

Although the exact amount of diesel fuel spilled has not been determined, the affected tank capacity is 500 gallons.  It is believed that 250 gallons of diesel fuel was in the tank at the time of the leak.  The failed tank fitting has been clamped off and no additional fuel is leaking.  Two layers of floating boom and one layer of absorbent boom have been deployed by Los Angeles County Fire Department responders to contain the sheen. 

The vessel owner has hired a commercial oil spill response organization to respond.  The Coast Guard, LA County Fire Department, Marina Del Rey Harbor Patrol, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and California Department of Fish and Game’s Oil Spill Prevention and Response have stood up a Unified Command Post to oversee the operation.

LOS ANGELES - The Coast Guard reminds boaters to keep an eye on the weather as summer approaches and Southern Californians take to the water for fishing or recreational purposes.

Storms and inclement weather on the water can move very quickly and change forecasts dramatically.  Recently, a group of children kayaking off Catalina Island were beset by weather.  The group, chaperoned by adults, were carried nearly a mile off shore when winds suddenly increased to nearly 45 knots, and the temperature dropped significantly.

A California Fish and Game boat, Thresher, along with the Coast Guard Cutter Halibut and a Good Samaritan assisted the group and safely returned them to shore.  All the kayakers were reportedly wearing life jackets; however some were reported to be mildly hypothermic.

In order to enjoy the water, boaters and paddlesport enthusiasts should always check the weather forecast before they head out.  If dark clouds, high winds or other signs of foul weather appear they should seek shelter or head for safety ashore, rather than wait it out. Boaters should seek assistance at the first sign of trouble.  All boaters should be equipped with life jackets, a radio or waterproofed and charged cell phone, and file a float plan with friends or family ashore who can notify search and rescue agencies if they fail to return as scheduled.

For more information on weather, boaters may visit www.wrh.noaa.gov/lox/

For information on safe boating, boaters are encouraged to visit www.uscgboating.org

Float plan forms are available at, visit http://www.floatplancentral.org/

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Two injured sailors involved in an around-the-world  race were transferred from their storm damaged yacht to the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf approximately 250-miles offshore today and are now on their way to San Francisco.  The remaining yacht crew, including some with less serious injuries, remain aboard their vessel which is also making its way to its designated mooring in Oakland. 

Two yacht crewmembers, a 29-year old man and 50-year-old woman aboard the 68-foot Geraldton Western Australia (CV6) racing for the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race, are being treated and stabilized by the Cutter Bertholf’s medical specialists.

The sailors were injured after a large wave reportedly struck racing yacht about 400 miles west of the California coast Saturday morning.  The successful rescue of the two people now safely aboard the Bertholf follows two days of intensive search and rescue operations.

In today's operations, a San Diego-based Coast Guard MH-60T crew, operating from the deck of the Bertholf, had planned on airlifting but once on scene the aviators determined that the boat's rigging and mast presented too great a hazard.  Instead, one of the Bertholf's two rescue boats, successfully transferred the injured crew to the cutter. Once on board, they were evaluated by the cutter's medical specialists.

Bertholf's commanding officer, in consultation with medical experts ashore, decided the best course of action was to head back to shore with the injured yacht crew.  The Alameda-based 418-foot national security class cutter is expected to arrive Monday. 

In addition to the rescue helicopter and Bertholf, a long-range Coast Guard HC-130J Hercules aircraft based at Air Station Sacramento, also were involved in the rescue operation.  On Saturday, one of these aircraft flew a California Air National Guard pararescue team to the scene of the stricken sailboat in hopes of delivering the highly trained medical and rescue personnel directly to the sailboat.  That team could not parachute down to the damaged sailboat due to rough weather, however, was able to drop medical supplies to the yacht. A second Coast Guard C-130 assigned to the rescue today provided communications support and safety backup for the helicopter flight operations. 

"I'm very proud of the crew of the cutter Bertholf, the U. S. Coast Guard and California Air National Guard flight crews involved in this case, and the crew of the sailboat as well" said Capt. John Prince, chief of staff of the 11th Coast Guard District.  "Everyone demonstrated expert seamanship and airmanship to ensure the injured sailors were safely delivered to proper medical care.  I'm especially grateful to have assets like the Cutter Bertholf, one of our newest and most capable ships, available for operations such as this.  The cutter is a solid, versatile and highly effective platform.  It's ability to launch helicopters and rescue boats in high sea states was critical to the successful outcome of this operation."

INFORMATIONAL LINKS AND CONTACTS:

Media contact for Clipper Round the World Race:
Clipper Race Communications Manager, Isabel Hokken (510) 332-9093
Email: ihokken@clipper-ventures.com

Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (National Security Cutter)

MH-60T Jayhawk medium range helicopter

HC-130J Long-range surveillance aircraft

Video on YouTube

Clipper Round the World media page

Previous press releases:

PHOTOS: Medical supplies drop off

Coast Guard enroute to assist injured boaters

VIDEO RELEASE: Update 3- Medical supplies drop off,  plans for airlift

MORRO BAY, Calif. — A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Morro Bay rescued two boaters early March 29, after a rogue wave had disabled their 34-foot sailing vessel.

Just before midnight on March 28, the boaters reported that a wave had capsized their sailing vessel. The vessel then righted itself, but sustained a broken mast and loss of electrical power.

The Coast Guard dispatched two 47-foot Motor Life Boats from Coast Guard Station Morro Bay to the scene.

The boaters were able to anchor their vessel outside Morro Bay harbor, and were then transferred by the Coast Guard to awaiting Emergency Medical Services.

The boaters sustained no injuries.

###

LOS ANGELES  — Media are invited to attend the remobilization and offloading of Coast Guard Reserve personnel, boats and equipment from Air Force cargo planes, including a C-5 Galaxy and three C-17 Globemasters, Sunday at 1 p.m.

Coast Guard Port Security Units 311, 312 and 313 will be returning from San Clemente Island, Calif., Exercise Patriot Hook, an annual Air Force Reserve Tanker Airlift Control Element exercise simulating a joint force response to a natural disaster.

During the exercise, the PSUs were tested on their ability to be ready to deploy within 96 hours of notification and established sustained and self supporting operations within 24 hours. This includes staging and loading of equipment, establishing a base camp and life support area to conduct first aid for the disaster victims and conducting gunnery exercises and security operations.

As part of the Deployable Operations Group, the Coast Guard’s eight PSUs are a deployable specialized force that provide waterborne and shore-side protection for shipping and port facilities as well as humanitarian support during natural disasters. They have previously deployed in support of Operation New Dawn, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, the 2010 Haitian Earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

Who - Port Security Unit 311, Los Angeles;  Port Security Unit 312, San Francisco; and Port Security Unit 313, Seattle.

What - Remobilization and offloading of  Coast Guard Reserve personnel from Exercise Patriot Hook, including boats and equipment from Air Force cargo planes, including a C-5 Galaxy and three C-17 Globemasters.

When – Sunday, March 18th at 1 p.m.

Where - Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos
11200 Lexington Drive
Los Alamitos,CA 90720-5000


Editor’s note: Media interested in attending the offload should contact Petty Officer Seth Johnson at (310) 781-0288 to arrange access to the base.

LOS ANGELES - The Coast Guard rescued four people and one dog off the south side of Santa Cruz Island at around 2 p.m., March 12, 2012.  

The crew of a Coast Guard rescue helicopter from Air Station Los Angeles were conducting a seperate mission, when they spotted a small dinghy capsizing, sending all four adults and dog into the water.

Coast Guard crewmembers lowered a rescue swimmer into the water and using the helicopter’s hoist, they took one of the survivors to the nearby island.  Due to low fuel, the helicopter crew departed as the nearby cutter Halibut was diverted and another helicopter was launched.

When the Halibut and rescue helicopter arrived shortly after, the remaining three adults had righted the boat and paddled to shore.  

The helicopter crew hoisted all four survivors, including the dog, from the island to the Coast Guard cutter Halibut where they reported no injuries, and were safely transported.  

None of the rescued individuals were reported to be wearing lifejackets.  

LOS ANGELES – The Coast Guard is assisting local law enforcement in the recovery of a missing body near Santa Cruz Island, March 12, 2012.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Dive Unit is on scene leading the effort for recovering the missing boater. The Coast Guard Cutter Halibut is also on scene assisting the dive unit in their efforts.

The search began yesterday when a family member of a missing individual contacted the Channel Islands Harbor Patrol.  The boaters reportedly left for a fishing trip at 10 a.m. and were due to return at 8 p.m., March 10, 2012.  CIHP contacted Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, who initiated a search and rescue case.

A Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter located three bodies near the shoreline of Santa Cruz Island at 12 p.m., yesterday.

Involved in the search was a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Channel Islands Harbor, the Coast Guard Cutter Halibut, a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Los Angeles to search for the men. A Santa Barbara County Sheriff Department helicopter and the Santa Cruz Island Park Rangers also assisted in the search efforts.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Two California-based Coast Guard Petty Officers were chosen as the active duty Enlisted Person of the Year (EPOY) and reserve Enlisted Person of the Year (REPOY) for the 11th Coast Guard District region during a recognition banquet Friday at Coast Guard Island in Alameda.

Last year's reserve enlisted petty officer of the year, Petty Officer First Class William M. Hilt, announced the following D11 regional winners chosen from 33 competing nominees: 

• Boatswains Mate Second Class Calogero A. Lograsso, stationed at Coast Guard Cutter Blackfin in  Santa Barbara as the Active Duty EPOY
• Machinery Technician Second Class Michael A. Caliguire, assigned to the Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team, Novato as the Reservist EPOY

These regional winners will vie for national honors competing against their peers from around the nation. The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard will recognize the national winners in Washington, D.C., tentatively set for the week of May 7.

“I’m proud of Petty Officers Lograsso's and Caliguire's accomplishments, their leadership and their unwavering commitment to serve their community—they are the Coast Guard’s success stories,” said Rear Adm. Joseph "Pepe" Castillo, 11th District Commander. “EPOY is one of the many ways we recognize our stellar performers; this is a special occasion where our members’ active contributions to the community – their home away from home – derive a benefit from their leadership and performance learned in the Coast Guard.”

The EPOY program recognizes exceptional men and women in the Coast Guard’s enlisted workforce who are top performers. Considered as the “best and brightest” from the field, these individuals are selected by a panel of senior enlisted members who evaluate each nominee against a set of established criteria that includes performance, work ethics, military bearing, standards of conduct and a strong community service commitment.

Although it encompasses an area of responsibility to include northern and southern California, Arizona and Nevada, the 11th Coast Guard District is part of a larger Bay Area presence of Coast Guard members who number into approximately 4,000 members serving at small boat stations, buoy tenders, air stations, cutters, training centers, and regional headquarters that coordinate operations throughout California and the Pacific.  Coast Guard men and women here perform a variety of missions, including search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, marine safety inspections and fisheries, aids-to-navigation, port security and anti-terrorism patrols, illegal drug and migrant interdiction,  and environmental protection.

SAN PEDRO, Calif. - The Coast Guard located a capsized 24-foot recreational boat near Santa Cruz Island, Calif., about 1 p.m. Sunday.

At approximately 9 a.m., a family member of one of the four men aboard the boat reported the group missing to the Channel Islands Harbor Patrol.  CIHP contacted the Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach command center to initiate the search and rescue case.

The Coast Guard launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Channel Islands Harbor, the Coast Guard Cutter Halibut, and a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Los Angeles to search for the men. A Santa Barbara County Sheriff Department helicopter and the Santa Cruz Island Park Rangers also assisted in the search efforts.

Three of the men's bodies have been recovered as the search continues for the fourth missing man.  None of the men were wearing lifejackets when they were recovered.