On a cold, gusty afternoon in mid- January, Valerie Fernandes, USCG Auxiliary Coxswain, with crew Amanda Davis, William (Keith) Anderson and Trainee Anthony (Tony) Novellino, all from Flotilla 78, were on a routine Maritime Observation Mission ( MOM ) in Boca Ciega Bay. The multi-mission objectives were to check on some of Flotilla 78’s assigned private aids to navigation and also to perform some annual division training tasks to include search patterns and man overboard (MOB) evolutions.
The patrol started as a routine patrol often does. Fernandes assigned the crew to forward, aft, and 360 observation and the trainee to monitor Channel 16 on a hand held radio. Fernandes then made radio contact with Flotilla 7-16, which provided radio guard throughout this patrol.
While running a sector search in Boca Ciega Bay, the trainee heard a sailboat hail the Flotilla 78 facility as the blue hulled vessel. He said his metal dinghy broke free and was moving swiftly away from his boat and into the Boca Ciega Bay. The Auxiliary crew aimed to prevent further emergency call-outs and to stop the dinghy from being a hazard to navigation. The trainee replied to the sailboat that we would begin a search for the drifting dingy but contact with the owner was lost after his initial transmission.
The crew was not aware that the owner had left the safety of his 36-foot sailboat in his kayak to begin his own search for the lost dinghy under small craft advisory conditions. While searching the bay for the dingy, the crew observed a sailboat that had freed anchor and appeared to be aground and bouncing bottom in shallow water. The crew responded to the grounded sailboat to see if it was occupied and to get the registration numbers to alert the Coast Guard of a potential navigation hazard. As they approached the sailboat the crew observed a kayaker give the distress signal with his paddle. After speaking with the kayaker, the crew learned that he was the one who had initially hailed us. He stated he had been searching for his dinghy. They wanted to bring him on board but he refused. Wind was 20 knots gusting to 26. The kayaker was told to wait on the sand bar since conditions were difficult for him to paddle in. The crew started to check the channel adjacent to Maximo Channel for his dinghy since it was in the direction of drift. “We came upon the dinghy midway thru the channel bouncing against a dock and seawall blocked by pilings with protruding oyster shells and rocks. After some maneuvering against the wind and current the dingy was safely secured and taken in tow“ Fernandes stated.
The team returned to the kayaker and found him standing in a shallow area near the entrance to Maximo channel alongside his kayak. He advised his sailboat was across the bay moored near the Gulfport Pier. It was cold, very windy, and a small craft advisory was in effect. They knew the kayaker was exhausted, cold, and would not be able to paddle the kayak and dinghy against the wind and current. They threw him line advising him to put his 16-foot kayak inside his dinghy, and to use the line to secure it. He was in a short wetsuit and shivering. He said he was cold. The Flotilla 78 crew battled the wind and current but were able to pull him up over the bow in an effort not to be blown onto the shore.
Getting him aboard and securing his two vessels was not an easy task, as the Flotilla 78 facility was being blown onshore by the wind and current.
Once aboard, the kayaker was warmed with a blanket, rain jacket and life jacket. He refused medical assistance and appeared to warm up on the slow choppy ride, approximately 1 nautical mile across the bay. He identified himself and thanked the team as they pulled along his sailboat and returned him to safety.
The Coast Guard located the owner of the grounded sailboat with the registration numbers supplied by the Flotilla 78 crew and resolved the situation without any property damage.
The Flotilla 78 crew returned to their maritime observation mission after returning the kayaker and his boats to his moored sailboat. The ‘search and rescue’ portion of the mission turned out to be the real thing rather than a training patrol, and the observation part protected the safety of the waterway and prevented damage to personal property.
Another day in fulfilling the overarching mission of the USCG Auxiliary mission to contribute to the safety and security of our citizens, ports, waterways and coastal regions.
Patrol Date: 01/16/2014
By Anthony R. Novellino, Flotilla 78, St Pete Beach FSO-PA