[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 105 (Wednesday, September 8, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     USCG RESCUE IN ST. PETERSBURG

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MAC COLLINS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 8, 2004

  Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, on the 7th of August, a small Sea Pro 
fishing boat left Steinhatchee, Florida for a day of fishing. The four 
passengers, all from Monticello, Georgia were caught in a sudden squall 
which capsized the 23 foot craft. The next night, while they clung 
desperately to their overturned boat, the skipper's son, John Fish 
perished and drifted away from the group.
  For three days the survivors clung to their wreckage, hoping against 
hope that they would be rescued.
  The overdue boat was reported to the members of the U.S. Coast Guard 
St. Petersburg Group who immediately began a search of the vessel's 
last reported area, while Coast Guard searchers from Yankee Station in 
the North, worked their way down the coast.
  During the day of Sunday the 8th, several helicopters and planes, 
from as far away as Mobile, Alabama, searched the sea to no avail. On 
Monday, they continued their search and a C-130 located a hat and an 
ice chest floating in the water. A short time later, the newly 
commissioned Coast Guard Cutter Hawk skippered by Lt. j.g. Richard O. 
Dunagan spotted three weary survivors bobbing in the water. The three 
men, Jake Fish, Keith Smith, and Michael Jackson, were found weak and 
dehydrated and medevaced to Shand's hospital in Gainesville, FL, by an 
HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, FL. 
The fourth passenger, John Fish, tragically, was lost to the sea.
  The U.S. Coast Guard is a valuable asset in our war on terror, the 
war on drugs, the navigation of our waterways, and the safety of every 
American who climbs into a boat. The men and women who volunteer to 
serve often face the same risks and dangers as our combat troops in the 
other branches of our military. They are called upon to perform a 
multitude of duties, and each day they risk their lives in service to 
our Nation. I am grateful for their service and bravery.
  I would like to thank the brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard 
for their selfless dedication and commend them for their hard work and 
tireless efforts in rescuing these three men.
  I would also like to extend my condolences to the family of John Fish 
who passed away during this tragic incident. Our prayers are with them 
as they mourn the loss of their loved one.

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