USCG rescues 70 year old diver in Oahu

[deepstops]

The USCG was busy yesterday.

Coast Guard helicopter crew rescues diver near Waianae, Oahu, May 16, 2009 | Coast Guard News

Coast Guard helicopter crew rescues diver near Waianae, Oahu, May 16, 2009
May 16th, 2009
by cgnews.

HONOLULU A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a diver near Waianae Small Boat Harbor, Saturday, May 16, 2009.

An HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crew on a routine patrol from Air Station Barbers Point saw two mariners in a small boat waving their arms at approximately noon. The rescue crew tried to contact the mariners via VHF marine band channel 16 (the emergency distress channel for all mariners).

The Coast Guard crew decided to lower a rescue swimmer to investigate the distress after the mariners could not be contacted by radio. The swimmer notified the helicopter pilots that a 70-year old male was experiencing pain in his right arm and had symptoms of decompression sickness.

The rescue crew hoisted the ill man into the helicopter and returned to Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point where City and County of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services personnel transferred him to an ambulance at 12:25 p.m.

 

[DandyDon]

Don't know if it was radio failure or lack of radio? Lucky fellow.

 

[scubadude79]

I keep a marine radio on hand. It really comes in handy when needing to coordinate boating activities with the family, and especially since USCG tends to use it for emergency communication.
I live in Kansas, so it is really only used on lakes; but I think this should be a requirement of everyone's emergency kit especially in a marine environment.

Lucky in deed!