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Medevac Training on the NOAA Ship OSCAR DYSON

Rescue basket is lowered from the US Coast Guard helicopter to the ship's deck.

CB Sliney, US Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer, LT Mowitt, and LF Kriegh receiving tag line from helicopter. Photos by Colleen Peters

NOAA Ship OSCAR DYSON served as a training platform to conduct medical evacuation drills for the United States Coast Guard (USCG) on March 13, 2008.

The ship conducted two hours of helicopter medical evacuation drills in conjunction with two USCG rescue helicopters (units 6013 and 6566) based at USCG Air Station Kodiak.

Prior to the underway drills, LT Barry Miles and LT Lance Kerr of USCG air unit 6566 briefed the command and crew of the OSCAR DYSON on helicopter medevac procedures.

Each of the two USCG aircraft and aircrew were provided with one hour of ship time while underway in Chiniak Bay. During the drills, multiple basket drops were conducted with and without taglines, with and without USCG rescue swimmers. One USCG rescue swimmer was deployed to the deck of the OSCAR DYSON from each of the helicopters. One of the swimmers jumped off the ship for pickup from the water, the other was hoisted off the deck.

OSCAR DYSON's Executive Officer, LT Bill Mowitt, Chief Bosun William Sliney and Lead Fisherman Patrick Kriegh were on deck during the helicopter operations to assist in landing the baskets and personnel. Two hose teams were on standby during the drills with foam fire fighting equipment as per the station bill.

Michael Guttormsen, Chief Scientist, was very supportive in providing the ship time so that the ship and aircraft crews could train as the ship was getting underway for his survey. It was essential to conduct these drills in order to assure that the ship’s outlined procedures would work in an emergency situation. As a result, LT Miles suggested several revisions to the OSCAR DYSON's Helicopter Evacuation Plan which will be incorporated into the OSCAR DYSON’s Standing Orders. This was a very valuable experience for the crew to work with the famed Kodiak Coast Guard helicopter teams and participate in training that many crews discuss but few ever receive.

Story submitted by Colleen Peters, Senior Survey Technician, NOAA Ship OSCAR DYSON