Video captured a Thanksgiving Day Coast Guard helicopter rescue near Santa Cruz Island off the coast of Southern California.
The Coast Guard received a notification at about 10 a.m. Thursday that a Digital Selective Calling (DSC) distress signal was activated near Santa Cruz Island, off the southwestern Ventura County coast. A sailing vessel with two people aboard ran aground on rocks near the island.
A Coast Guard helicopter and boat responded to the location. The two individuals are safely hoisted onto the helicopter and transported to Point Mugu.
“Thankfully, they had a DSC-equipped radio which is how we were able to locate them,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Tate Lewis, a member of the helicopter rescue team. “We are grateful we were able to conduct a safe rescue and get them home to their families in time for Thanksgiving.”
The DSC function is available on many commercially available radios. It sends a distress beacon and notifies the Coast Guard of the location.
“This case is a great example of why having multiple means to communicate distress to the Coast Guard is worth the investment," said Lt. Cmdr. Quentin Long, Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator at Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach. "Before the survivors were able to make a direct call to our command center and after abandoning their vessel, we had already received good locational data for a reasonable search area, based on the DSC alert.”
The Coast Guard received a notification at about 10 a.m. Thursday that a Digital Selective Calling (DSC) distress signal was activated near Santa Cruz Island, off the southwestern Ventura County coast. A sailing vessel with two people aboard ran aground on rocks near the island.
U.S. & World
A Coast Guard helicopter and boat responded to the location. The two individuals are safely hoisted onto the helicopter and transported to Point Mugu.
“Thankfully, they had a DSC-equipped radio which is how we were able to locate them,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Tate Lewis, a member of the helicopter rescue team. “We are grateful we were able to conduct a safe rescue and get them home to their families in time for Thanksgiving.”
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The DSC function is available on man commercially available radios. It sends a distress beacon and notifies the Coast Guard of the location.
“This case is a great example of why having multiple means to communicate distress to the Coast Guard is worth the investment," said Lt. Cmdr. Quentin Long, Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator at Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach. "Before the survivors were able to make a direct call to our command center and after abandoning their vessel, we had already received good locational data for a reasonable search area, based on the DSC alert.”
