[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 20, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S5458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 COMMENDING FOUR BRAVE COAST GUARDSMEN

 Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr President, I rise today to commend a 
helicopter crew from the Coast Guard Air Station in Sitka, Alaska. 
These four brave men rescued three fishermen from a fierce storm at sea 
last November. Pilot Lt. Robert Yerex, co-pilot Lt. James O'Keefe, and 
Petty Officers Third Class Christian Blanco and Noel Hutton flew their 
helicopter into 40- to 60-knot winds and pulled three fishermen from 
35- to 40-foot high swells. The Coast Guard awarded this intrepid crew 
the Distinguished Flying Cross, the highest peace time honor that can 
be awarded, earlier this month.
  On November 12, 1999, the four-member crew of the Becca Dawn was 
caught in a storm 160 miles southwest of Sitka, on the coast of 
Southeast Alaska. The storm caused the 52-foot vessel to begin sinking 
so quickly the crew had no time to radio a mayday. Instead, an 
emergency position-indicating radio beacon was triggered. The signal 
from the beacon was picked up by the Coast Guard and the helicopter 
crew was immediately sent out. When they arrived, they found the 
fishermen had already abandoned ship.
  The storm made the rescue extremely difficult. The gusting winds made 
it extremely difficult to maintain the helicopter's stability, and 
blowing snow made visibility extremely low.
  Once the Coast Guard crew arrived on the scene they pulled up three 
of the four crew members. This operation took thirty minutes. With 
winds gusting to 60 knots, the crew of the bucking helicopter became 
nauseous, but persevered in their search for the missing fourth 
fisherman in the cold, turbulent water. They only returned to land at 
the last moment, almost out of fuel, when staying longer would have 
made them into casualties themselves. Unfortunately, the fourth 
fisherman was never found and is presumed lost at sea.
  Obviously, this brand of courage and tenacity is worthy of the 
Distinguished Flying Cross and I am very proud of my fellow Coast 
Guardsmen and Alaskans and I congratulate their hard work and 
dedication. All Coast Guardsmen pride themselves on being ``always 
ready,'' and these four courageous rescuers showed just what that 
spirit is all about. I salute them.

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