[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 10, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H1136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO LAKE ERIE RESCUERS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the exemplary efforts of
the United States Coast Guard, along with many State and local
agencies, for their rapid response and flawless execution in rescuing
134 ice fishermen from an ice floe off the coast of Lake Erie on
Saturday.
The call for help came in to the Coast Guard at approximately 10:45
a.m. By early afternoon, everyone was rescued. One man, sadly, who had
fallen into the water, later suffered a fatal heart attack, and our
sympathy goes out to his family.
Saturday's heroic rescue is a testament to the cooperation of various
units: The Coast Guard stations in Toledo and Marblehead, Ohio;
Detroit, Traverse City, Belle Isle, and St. Clair Shores, Michigan; and
even Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
The Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw; the Ottawa, Ohio Sheriff's
Department; the Ohio State Highway Patrol; Monroe County, Michigan
Sheriff's Department; Jervis, Carol, and Washington townships; Toledo
Life Flight; the Canadian Coast Guard; and, yes, countless local
citizens.
I wanted to take this opportunity to call attention to their heroism
and outstanding deeds. Hundreds of families, thousands of people, are
grateful to them for their actions that prevented a real catastrophe.
My constituents rely on the tireless efforts of the Coast Guard and
law enforcement to protect America's fourth sea coast along our Great
Lakes. The partnership between all levels of law enforcement and
seamless communication between these agencies are critical for my
constituents who know that, in difficult times like this, there's a
team of agencies that they can rely upon.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans and Canadians venture
into Lake Erie to participate in the region's rich sports fishing
industry. Estimates show each year, the sports fishing industry on Lake
Erie alone contributes up to $700 million toward our local economy.
This backbone to the local economy would not exist without the capable
support of first responders.
I would like to commend in particular Ottawa County Sheriff Robert
Bratton, Lucas County Sheriff James Telb, the Coast Guard, and other
local law enforcement officials, for their vigilance in protecting our
fishermen from this danger.
In addition, I would like to commend local officials on efforts to
develop a system in quantifying the dangers related to ice floes and
educate fishermen on the dangers of ice fishing.
As our country faces the challenges of updating law enforcement to
confront the challenges of the 21st century, we should look inward at
the expertise of these local officials. For generations, it has been
the Coast Guard and local law enforcement that has protected sailors,
fishermen, and boaters from our region from these dangers.
I will submit for the Record the activities of a number of Coast
Guard employees for their work in coordinating rescue operations. Their
expertise and heroism must be properly commended.
And it is a tribute at the highest order to read into the Record the
names of those who participated in this rescue effort: Petty Officer
Jason Rice, Sector Detroit; Petty Officer Chad Pietszak, Station
Marblehead, coxswain; Petty Officer Jason Venema, Station Marblehead,
crewman; Petty Officer Aaron Pitney, Station Toledo, rescue swimmer;
Coleman Selm, Air Station Detroit; and Public Affairs Chief Robert
Lanier.
It is a tribute of the highest order to recognize these exceptional
servicemembers whose devotion to duty exemplifies America's real
homeland security.
Thank you.
1. OS1 Jason Rice, Sector Detroit, Command Center: As the
lead Operational Controller, Petty Officer Rice initiated a
Safety Broadcast prior to the event to warn fishermen. He
received notification of the event, dispatched initial
resources, and provided accurate and quick notifications up
the chain of command including detailed log entries
throughout the event. His recommendations, calm demeanor and
professional knowledge ensured the CG dispatched the correct
resources and relayed critical information to other first
responder agencies. Petty Officer Rice ensured the CG helo
was immediately tasked to assist with Person In Water (PIW) &
coordinated information flow on medical evacuation to the
Fireland Hospital.
2. BM2 Chad Pietszak, Station Marblehead: coxswain on
airboat that provided organization, communication and safe
transportation during ferry operations. Petty Officer
Pietszak's skilled operation of the airboat ensured 94
fishermen were safely transferred from the ice floe to the
staging area with no injuries during the evolution.
3. BM2 Jason Venema, Station Marblehead: crewman on airboat
that provided organization, communication and safe
transportation during ferry operations. Petty Officer Venema
ensured 94 passengers were safely embarked, comfortable and
delivered from the ice floe to the staging area.
4. BM1 Aaron Pitney, Station Toledo: Station Executive
Petty Officer and ice rescue team leader from STA Toledo.
Petty Officer Pitney dispatched to scene and liaison with
other first responders and law enforcement agencies. He
assisted with dragging fire department's 21 feet boat
hundreds of yards offshore, assisted with directing and
receiving fishermen being ferried off the ice. Assisted MSU
Toledo with tracking down details of sunken four-wheeler and
air boat.
5. AST3 Coleman Selm, Air Station Detroit: rescue swimmer
onboard Coast Guard helicopter CG6553 that participated in
the medical evacuation. He performed a direct deployment
double lift recovery of the PIW, and then performed CPR with
the flight mechanic assisting until PIW was delivered to
awaiting medical personnel at Firelands Hospital helipad. He
also participated in the extensive aerial search effort,
locating several stranded fishermen.
6. PAC Robert Lanier, D9 Public Affairs Chief. Within
minutes of the initial report, Chief Lanier recognized the
gravity of the situation and mobilized the entire external
affairs division. He sent a team to the Incident Cmd Post at
the scene, and personally supervised a team at the D9 office.
His group aggressively released info and imagery to the media
in a timely manner, and conducted numerous national media
interviews, garnering extensive coverage.
It is a tribute of the highest order to recognize these
exceptional service members whose devotion to duty
exemplifies America's real homeland security.
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