Body Found in Sunken Boat in Long Island Sound

FISHERS ISLAND, NY -- The Coast Guard says rescuers have found the body of a woman in a boat that sank in Long Island Sound near Fishers Island.

Petty Officer Ian McGoohan of the Coast Guard in New Haven, Conn., said the body was found before 8 a.m. Monday. The woman has not been identified and her body was taken to the chief medical examiner's office.

The Coast Guard says it received a distress call at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday that a 50-foot motor vessel named Priceless had struck Pulpit Rock and sank with 10 people aboard. Nine people and a dog were rescued.

McGoohan confirmed that Mary Patenaude of Pomfret, Conn., is missing.

The vessel was based out of Westerly, R.I.

Fishers Island is at the eastern end of Long Island Sound.

Article Provided by the Associated Press

Picture provided through: www.fishersislandclub.com/

Annual Joint Flotilla BBQ

AUG 25TH Saturday -

Flotilla's 01-06 and 12-07 are pleased to announce their annual Summer Joint BBQ. The event will be held at Mid Island Svc at ISP on Saturday, 25 August between the hours of 11:00 and 4:00. All Auxair members and their families are invited to join us in this celebration of fellowship and summer fun.

As this is a catered event, it is very important that we have an accurate head count. Please RSVP to either Lou Volpato (lvolpato@aol.com) or Albin Cofone (cofonea@sunysuffolk.edu) no later than Wednesday, 15 August if you plan to attend. All of us look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible on the 25th.

Labor Day Weekend at the American AirPower Museum

Shipmates and Public at large... Coming to Farmingdale, NY the end of August is...

 

 

COAST GUARD BIRTHDAY - FOCUS ON PROFICIENCY - 018/12

1. Members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Community,

Please allow me to convey to you our Commandant's 222nd Coast Guard Day message and the accompanying article "Proficiency: The Essence of Discipline." In the below email, Admiral Papp reinforces his focus on proficiency in craft, proficiency in leadership, and disciplined initiative. It is a message worth serious reflection.

The call for the pursuit of proficiency is not limited to the operational mission. No matter what your contribution is to the organization, no matter your office or role, Admiral Papp instills in all of us his expectation that we remain on a continuous course towards self improvement and mastery in what we do. As the Admiral states, we are duty-bound, both as a Service and as individuals, for the good of the nation, the Coast Guard, and each other.

I strongly encourage all leaders within the Auxiliary organization to discuss the contents of Admiral Papp's message and article at their next scheduled unit meetings and through their local newsletters and web sites.

On behalf of the Chief Director's Office, Happy Coast Guard Day! Remain safe, professional, and proud of what we do!

CDR Mike DaPonte
CG-BSX-1

2. FYI:

Subject: Shipmates 23: Coast Guard Birthday - Focus on Proficiency

Shipmates,

I recently had the great privilege of visiting the headquarters of the National Archives, where the archivists showed me the original legislation which gave us our beginning, signed by President George Washington on the 4th of August, 1790. This was a very special event that vividly reminded me of the connection our Service has to the history of the United States of America. This year, as we celebrate the 222nd birthday of the U.S. Coast Guard, we will dedicate time to honor our profession by focusing on proficiency throughout the Service.

I invite you to view a Coast Guard Day video message from me and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Leavitt at: http://www.dvidshub.net/video/150864/coast-guard-birthday-message-admiral-robert-papp- and-masterchief-michael-leavitt 

The Coast Guard remains an organization undergoing change while sustaining a broad range of operations and support activities across a diverse range of missions. Increased activity in the Arctic, the continued flow of drugs and migrants toward our shores, threats to fisheries, and our mandate to assure the safe and secure approaches to American ports all confront us like uncertain and stormy seas-and all in the context of shrinking budgets. At the same time, however, we must rely on the enduring anchors that define us as Coast Guardsmen-members of the profession of arms-and that are crucial to our success: proficiency in craft, proficiency in leadership, and disciplined initiative.

This week I published an article linked below that communicates my vision and intent on proficiency, why it's important, what the service is doing to improve it, and what I expect of each of you.

http://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2012-08/proficiency-essence-discipline 

I encourage you to read it and discuss it with your shipmates.

Proficiency in craft, proficiency in leadership, disciplined initiative-these are the anchors upon which we will hold fast in the uncertain and stormy seas that we are facing.

Beyond the current situation, they are enduring. Their value and necessity to our ethos and our mission success is proven in our rich heritage and the long blue line of Coast Guard men and women who have gone before us. They will sustain us in the future as they do now and have before.

Within the next 30 days, commanding officers and officers-in-charge shall discuss the contents of the article at quarters or an appropriate muster. I encourage you to continue these discussions in the mess deck and hangar deck, Chiefs' Mess, wardroom, and among staffs and teams.

As we face uncertain and stormy seas, current threats, or future challenges, I'm always confident that we'll succeed because of the great men and women of our Coast Guard. I'm proud to be your Commandant. Linda and I want to take this opportunity to thank you - our Active Duty, Reserve, Civilian and Auxiliary members as well as our retirees and all of our Coast Guard families, for your service, sacrifice and dedication to duty.

We're Coast Guardsmen. This is our chosen profession. This is our way. This is what we do.

Stand a Taut Watch. Semper Paratus.

Admiral Bob Papp

3. The purpose of this list is to keep Auxiliarists as well as all other
interested parties abreast of current developments, policies, manuals, etc.
All information contained herein and linked is OFFICIAL policy and
information.

4. Internet Release and Distribution is Authorized.

5. CG-BSX-1 sends

Changes to National Online Flotilla Leadership Course

Effective June 13, 2012, the National Training Department is pleased to offer the Flotilla Leadership Course (FLC). This course provides Flotilla Commanders (FC) and Vice Flotilla Commanders (VFC) the organizational framework and resources to successfully manage their Flotillas. Completion of this course qualifies members to run for the positions of FC and VFC.

 

The FLC presents leadership and management concepts and provides tools and other online resources that support the requirements of these positions throughout their tenure.

 

You'll work your way through this information to achieve the following goals:
a)    Exercise leadership and supervision of the flotilla and assure that the overall flotilla program conforms to the Coast Guard and Auxiliary policies and procedures.
b)    Supervise administration and coordination between the Vice Flotilla Commander and staff members.
c)    Become familiar with the Auxiliary Manual (AUXMAN) and the Flotilla Procedures Manual (FPM).
d)    Prepare to effectively support the policy, requirements, and procedures related to flotilla administration, administration principles courtesy, protocol, and ceremonies the auxiliary's technology world the flotilla
staff flotilla correspondence.

To access the course, please visit the Coast Guard Auxiliary Online Classroom (http://classroom.cgaux.org) to self-enroll into the course. After you have reviewed the online presentation and related materials you can access the National Testing Center to take the final exam to record completion.

Green Laser Halts Coast Guard Air Search

Incident Causes Search To Be Delayed, Is 3rd Of Its Kind In 3 Weeks

A green laser directed at a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter temporarily blinded the aircrew and forced them to land abruptly Wednesday morning while attempting to search for the source of three orange flares spotted near Garden City Beach, SC. This is the third time in three weeks a Coast Guard search has been hindered due to green lasers in the Grand Strand, the beach region from Little River, SC to Georgetown, SC.

The aircrew, from Air Facility Charleston, SC, had just arrived at the search area to begin searching when the laser hit the aircraft at about 0145 EDT, forcing the aircrew to stop searching and land. One crewman received direct laser exposure and was not cleared to fly again until Wednesday afternoon. Watchstanders at Sector Charleston immediately directed a boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Georgetown to take over the search. However, due to the distance from Georgetown, the boatcrew didn't arrive at the search area until about two hours after the helicopter departed.

A different helicopter crew from Air Station Savannah flew over the area at dawn to continue searching. The search ended later Wednesday morning but the source of the flares was never located.

The green lasers limit air and boat crewmembers' vision, making it difficult from them to safely operate the aircraft and boats, thus making it extremely dangerous for the Coast Guardsmen operating them and other people nearby. A delay during a search could also result in the death of the person or people the Coast Guard is attempting to save.

Cmdr. Gregory Fuller, commanding officer at Air Station Savannah, which provides Coast Guard air support for the Grand Strand, has deemed the entire Grand Strand very high risk and now requires aircrews to consider laser risk in the area before responding to a distress call. "We've been very fortunate that the green laser incidents haven't yet resulted in tragedy," said Fuller. "But every time we send our aircrews to the Grand Strand, we're telling them to fly into the equivalent of a storm, where it's almost guaranteed they'll be hit. We're simply asking the public to stop putting Coast Guard men and women in senseless and unnecessary danger."

The Federal Aviation Administration reports lasing incidents rose 902 percent from 2005 to 2011. Shining any laser at an aircraft is a federal offense under 14 CFR 19.11. Several people have been convicted under this and similar state laws. These convictions have resulted in prison terms as long as five years, fines of up to $11,000, and five years probation.

Importance of EPIRBs and PLBs for Safe Boating

Recreational boaters can ensure their safety, especially when far off shore, by having a GPS-enabled Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) aboard, and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) attached to crew members. These devices, which are lightweight, compact and easy to
use, can instantly summon help and provide rescuers with precise location information.

EPIRBs are ideal for voyages where traditional communications are spotty. Once activated, either manually or automatically by submersion in water, 406 MHz GPS-enabled EPIRBs broadcast a repeating SOS signal
with integrated GPS location from virtually any point on earth for 48 continuous hours. The signal is received by Cospas/Sarsat satellites, which identify the beacon's position within a few hundred yards in mere
minutes. Search and rescue personnel are then contacted and know exactly where to look.

The 406 MHz PLBs are like small EPIRBs, except that the PLBs can only be activated manually and are secured to the individual crew member, not the boat. They use the same satellites and send an SOS signal with GPS position to summon help. However, their smaller batteries are effective for only 24 hours of continuous operation once activated.

PLBs make a great addition to an EPIRB, providing greater peace of mind when it comes to the safety of crew members, especially when on deck, on night watch, or solo cruising. They are also suitable for paddlers making outback voyages to remote locations.

Paddlers and boaters who find the price of these devices prohibitively expensive have the option of renting them from the BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, which is a nonprofit organization.
For more information about these devices go to the Foundation site:  

http://www.BoatUS.com/foundation/epirb>.

Source: BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water