SAN DIEGO -- An aircrew from U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego airlifted a passenger in need of urgent medical care from a cruise ship approximately 30 miles southwest of San Diego Thursday evening.

The crew of the Inspiration requested the medevac for the 61-year-old man who was experiencing chest pain at approximately 5:30 p.m.

A Coast Guard flight surgeon was consulted and recommended an immediate medevac for the passenger.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter launched from Sector San Diego to perform the medevac.

The Jayhawk crew hoisted the passenger from the cruise ship and transported him to Sector San Diego at 7:40 p.m., where he was transferred to emergency medical personnel for further care.

SAN DIEGO -- A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew from San Diego medically evacuated a 21-year-old woman aboard a Navy ship 20 miles northwest of La Jolla, Calif., early Monday morning.

The crew of the USS Bonhomme Richard, a multipurpose amphibious assault ship homeported in San Diego, contacted the Coast Guard at 3:16 a.m., requesting a medevac for the Sailor who they said was experiencing chest and back pains.

A Coast Guard flight surgeon was consulted, and recommended she be taken off the ship for immediate medical attention.

An MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew was launched from Coast Guard Sector San Diego to perform the medevac, arrived on scene and hoisted the woman at 4:22 a.m. She was then transported to Sector San Diego where an ambulance was waiting to transport her to Balboa Hospital.

The woman was transferred to emergency medical personnel for further care.

EDITOR'S NOTE: There is no imagery available.

SAN DIEGO --  The U.S. Coast Guard is warning mariners transiting in San Diego Bay that an aid to navigation located near the west end of Shelter Island was damaged in an allision and could pose a hazard to navigation.

Shelter Island West End Light 4, LLNR-1595, was struck sometime before Wednesday afternoon, shifting the day board portion of the aid out of position and bending a section of the ladder perpendicular to the aid near the waterline.

The light on the aid is still operating properly. This aid marks the right side of the channel into the Shelter Island yacht basin.

The responsible party left the scene without reporting the damage, leaving a potentially hazardous situation due to the steel ladder protruding from the pole and the misalignment of the day marker.

 Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team San Diego responded to the damaged marker and removed the protruding ladder Wednesday evening. Preparations to repair the day board  are currently underway.

Coast Guard responded to three separate vessel collisions with the aids to navigation near the west end of Shelter Island in the past year, two of which were unreported.

"The responsible party in this case did not report the collision or damage to the Coast Guard when it happened, as is required by law,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Tapp, Officer in Charge of ANT San Diego.  “Unfortunately, they also left a dangerous hazard in the area that could have easily damaged or injured another mariner using that aid to navigation in the dark or in foggy conditions.  The broken ladder was left perpendicular and protruding near the water line right at a level where it could have easily been struck again.  We are very fortunate that a mariner on a smaller vessel did not hit the dangerous protrusion from the pole and injure themselves or others."

San Diego Harbor Police reported the damaged aid to the Coast Guard Wednesday afternoon. Anyone involved in a collision with a navigation aid is required to contact the Coast Guard. Mariners are also urged to contact the Coast Guard if they observe discrepancies to any aid to navigation. The Coast Guard can be contacted on marine VHF radio Channel 16, or by calling the U.S. Coast Guard Joint Harbor Operations Center at (619) 278-7033.

The Coast Guard is currently investigating the circumstances of this allision. Anyone with information regarding this event is asked to contact the Coast Guard JHOC number listed above.

SAN DIEGO -- A section of ladder protrudes from a navigation aid near Shelter Island in San Diego Bay that was damaged by an allision Jan. 11, 2012. Aids to Navigation Team San Diego responded to the damaged aid, removing the broken ladder and preparing to realign the day board. Photo by Port of San Diego.

SAN DIEGO -- U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sherman is scheduled to return to homeport in San Diego from a 100-day patrol to the Bering Sea, Thursday morning.

During the patrol, Sherman’s crew boarded 45 vessels to conduct safety checks and fisheries inspections, as well as responded to seven search and rescue cases, saving more than 20 lives and maritime assets valued at more than $1.5 million.

One of the search and rescue cases involved the crew of the fishing vessel Rebecca Irene. They experienced engine problems limiting their speed to five knots, preventing them from avoiding a low pressure system dubbed “The Storm of the Century” by the media. The Sherman’s crew evacuated 20 non-essential crewmembers from the Rebecca Irene to the cutter and escorted the fishing vessel through the night until it was taken under tow by a tug from Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

Another search and rescue case involved the 649-foot motor vessel Morning Cedar that suffered damage to its steering system preventing maneuvering. The Sherman was on scene for more than 120 hours while the Morning Cedar flew in technicians from Europe to conduct temporary repairs. Sherman then escorted the Morning Cedar more than 400 miles to Dutch Harbor.

During a port call in Dutch Harbor, crewmembers participated in a ceremony with local Boy Scouts, replacing the weathered flags at the Bering Sea Patrol Monument at Memorial Park in Unalaska, Alaska.

During the ceremony, Capt. Joseph F. Hester III, commanding officer of the Sherman, spoke on the importance of remembering the 140 years that the Coast Guard has served in the Bering Sea, dating back to the Revenue Cutter Service. Afterward, the crewmembers visited the graves of servicemen from the Revenue Cutters Rush and Bear, dating from the 1890’s.

The Sherman is the sixth of twelve 378-foot Secretary Class High Endurance Cutters. It is homeported in San Diego, with a crew of approximately 160.

SAN DIEGO -- Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell is scheduled to return to home port in San Diego from its two-month deployment to the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Dec. 14, 2011, at approximately 10:30 a.m.

During the deployment, Boutwell’s crew seized or disrupted 3,400 pounds of cocaine bound for the United States valued at more than $40 million in three separate events since departing Oct. 16.

This was Boutwell’s first deployment since changing homeport from Alameda, Calif., to San Diego in May.

The first smuggling attempt was disrupted Nov. 3, when the crew of the Boutwell located a suspicious fishing vessel operating approximately 155 miles off the Galapagos Islands and launched their law enforcement teams to investigate.

As Boutwell's small boats approached the vessel they observed a smaller boat, known regionally as a "panga," alongside the first vessel, with two more pangas in tow.

As the law enforcement teams approached, one of the pangas abruptly broke away from the fishing vessel but was intercepted by a Coast Guard boat crew. The panga quickly jettisoned an estimated load of 600-700 pounds of cocaine immediately upon spotting the approaching Coast Guard boats.

The second smuggling interdiction occured Nov. 4, when Boutwell's small boat crews were again investigating suspicious activity by several fishing vessels.

The Coast Guard crews surprised several vessels in the midst of an at sea rendezvous to either refuel or transfer contraband. The smugglers were forced to jettison their illicit cargo, again estimated to be approximately 600-700 pounds.

For the release concerning these two cases, please click here.

Boutwell’s most successful case began Thanksgiving Eve when the cutter approached fishing vessel El Soberano, approximately 230 miles west of Ecuador. The Coast Guard crew observed suspicious packages on board and the boarding team decided to conduct a search of the fishing vessel where they discovered 2,200 pounds of cocaine.

The boarding team detained all nine individuals aboard the two vessels and brought them aboard Boutwell and later transferred the suspects, boats and contraband to Ecuadorian officials.

Commissioned in 1968, Boutwell is the one of eleven 378-foot Secretary Class High Endurance Cutters. It is homeported in San Diego, with a crew of approximately 160.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Media representatives who wish to attend the homecoming at Naval Base San Diego should RSVP to Coast Guard Public Affairs by 10 a.m., Tuesday, at 619-278-7025.

EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN - The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell intercepts a fishing vessel with three pangas in tow, which resulted in the destruction of 1,300 pounds of cocaine at sea while on patrol off the coast of South America Nov. 3-4, 2011. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Jason Ganem.

SAN DIEGO -- A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew from San Diego medically evacuated a 77-year-old woman aboard a cruise ship 230 miles southwest of San Diego Saturday afternoon.

The crew of the Carnival Spirit contacted the Coast Guard at 12:30 p.m., requesting a medevac for the woman who they said was experiencing symptoms of a stroke.

A Coast Guard flight surgeon was consulted, and recommended an immediate medevac.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched from Coast Guard Sector San Diego to perform the medevac, and a C-130 Hercules plane from Air Station Sacramento also launched to provide communications support and coordination for the case, and served as an escort for the helicopter.

Once on scene, the helicopter crew hoisted the woman and the ship's nurse and transported them the Sector San Diego at approximately 6 p.m.

The woman was transferred to emergency medical personnel for further care.

EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN -- The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell disrupted two drug smuggling operations resulting in 1,300 pounds of cocaine being destroyed at sea while on patrol off the coast of South America Nov. 3-4, 2011.

The first smuggling attempt was disrupted Nov. 3, when the crew of the Boutwell located a suspicious fishing vessel operating approximately 155 miles off the Galapagos Islands and launched their law enforcement teams to investigate. 

As Boutwell's small boats approached the suspect vessel they observed a smaller boat, known regionally as a "panga", alongside the first vessel, with two more pangas in tow. 

As the law enforcement teams approached, one of the pangas abruptly broke away from the fishing vessel but was intercepted by a Coast Guard boat crew. The panga quickly jettisoned an estimated load of 600-700 pounds of cocaine immediately upon spotting the approaching Coast Guard boats.

The second smuggling attempt was Nov. 4, when the Boutwell's crew and its small boat crews were again investigating suspicious activity by several fishing vessels. 

The Coast Guard crews were able to surprise several vessels in the midst of an at sea rendezvous to either refuel or transfer contraband. The surprised smugglers were forced to jettison their illicit cargo, again estimated to be approximately 600-700 pounds.

Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell is a 378-foot High Endurance Cutter homeported in San Diego, Calif.

EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN - The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell intercepts a fishing vessel with three pangas in tow, which resulted in the destruction of 1,300 pounds of cocaine at sea while on patrol off the coast of South America Nov. 3-4, 2011. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Jason Ganem.

SAN DIEGO¾Two fishermen have been located safe and sound Sunday morning after reportedly being lost at sea for two days.

The U.S. Coast Guard received notification from the Mexican navy just after 10 a.m., that the 23-foot fishing vessel search and rescue crews had been searching on since Saturday afternoon has been located and everyone is accounted for.

To view the initial media release please click here.

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The owner and operator of a disabled sailboat made it safely to shore after being rescued by the Coast Guard 160 miles southwest of San Diego yesterday.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Mellon, a 378-foot high endurance cutter homeported in Seattle, rescued the sailor from the Avalo, his 24-foot single masted sailboat. The Avalo became disabled when the boom was damaged and the engine was lost. The cutter transported the sailor to the San Diego sea buoy, where he was transferred to a Coast Guard small boat crew from Station San Diego and brought to shore.

For the inital release click here.

For questions relating to this case please call Petty Officer Pam Boehland at 510.772.8865.

SAN DIEGO-The U.S. Coast Guard continues to look for two fishermen who were reported lost Saturday morning 60 miles west of San Clemente Island, Calif.

Crews searched through the night for the 23-foot center consol Mexican fishing vessel with two people aboard, and will continue into Sunday.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Edisto was initially diverted to the scene to search but had to return to base due to mechanical problems. The U.S.S. Rushmore took over the search for the Edisto and remained on scene.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego launched a 60T-Jayhawk helicopter just before six Sunday morning, and a C-130 Hercules aircraft from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento, Calif., to assist in the search.

The current weather on scene is two to three foot seas and winds are 10 to 15 knots with scattered rain showers in the forecast.

To view the initial media release please click here.