Rescuers Save Loggers

[32a]

http://www.canada.com/components/print. ... d7518ab80d
Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun, Friday, March 23, 2007

This is a story of a 14 1/2 -hour rescue operation that grew to involve a water taxi, a hovercraft, a helicopter and search plane. The whole story is at the hyperlinks. A must read, it is too long to post. Following are excerpts.

The boat had crashed ashore with such force that one of the men was thrown head-first into a tree. One was dead. Two others were severely injured, and all the survivors were suffering from hypothermia.

Gray was at the front of a remarkable vanguard of more than two dozen rescuers who braved stormy conditions at night so severe that some of them said it ranks near the top of their list of difficult rescues.

"There was a significant pucker factor in this one," said Capt. Scott Murphy, a pilot on a Canadian Forces Search and Rescue Buffalo aircraft. Murphy flew in thick ice-forming clouds, dropping flares every three minutes to light a dim path visible only by the night vision-equipped helicopter pilots, who picked their way just above the water and under unseen power lines.

Lieut. Chris Hulser, a U.S. Coast Guard pilot working in Comox on a three-year exchange, said he can recall perhaps two other rescues in his career where he wondered what he was doing flying in such bad conditions. This midnight rescue was as tough as they come.

Full story: http://www.canada.com/components/print. ... d7518ab80d

[sky's the limit]

I was out flying in Jervis Inlet early the next morning and the weather was still crap, low clouds and snow up past Britton River. Very unfortunate accident indeed. Was parked at one of the Fish Farms for a few hours and saw the RCMP Cat towing the crew boat out of the Inlet.

Be pretty ugly flying in there at night to say the least. Somewhat surprised they used a/c to tell you the truth, but I'm glad to see it came off without much trouble.

STL