[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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