PIW Rescued from Delaware River

Pictured left to right: Robert Abers (FL 69), Charles Stewart (FL 61), Julia Allen (FL 61) and Nancy Paulauskas (FL 69)

On 11-JUN-05, Charles Stewart (coxswain), Julia Allen (crew), Robert Abers (crew trainee), and Nancy Paulauskas (crew trainee) were engaged in a performance evaluation of OPFAC 212901, which had just finished having extensive repairs performed to the vessel's outdrive. After determining that the vessel was performing as expected, the crew of OPFAC 212901 set course for Ross Marine in Trenton, NJ to refuel. Enroute, two persons without PFDs were observed in the water. After one of the men signaled for help, the crew of OPFAC 212901 quickly approached the men and observed that one of the men was having difficulty staying at the surface of the water. The other man was holding him up, but was quickly growing tired. The two men had one Type IV PFD to hold onto for buoyancy.

Although OPFAC 212901 was not configured for search and rescue work, Dr. Stewart quickly brought the vessel alongside the men. Mr. Abers threw a Type IV life ring PFD to the men, while Ms. Allen attached and lowered the swim ladder on the boat. Ms. Paulauskas readied another Type IV life ring PFD with a line on it, and Mr. Abers threw that life ring to the man in distress. After the man in distress grabbed onto the life ring, Mr. Abers and Ms. Allen pulled him to the boat and helped him up the swim ladder.

Without the assistance of OPFAC 212901, there would have been at least one drowning victim on the Delaware River that day. The crew of OPFAC 212901 estimated that the person in the water had approximately five more minutes left before fatigue would have set in, and was on the verge of panicking when OPFAC 212901 arrived. If he had begun to panic, he quite possibly could have taken the person assisting him under as well. Fortunately for all, the performance evaluation of OPFAC 212901 occurred at the right time in the right place.

Article by Charles W. Stewart Jr., SO-MA-06 (5NR), Yardley, PA.

Photograph by Don K. Wallar, FSO-FN-06-01 (5NR), Trenton, NJ.

This article was originally published in Volume 105, No. 3, the Fall 2005 edition of Topside