Coast Guard to conduct helicopter rescue demo Saturday

1
The Coast Guard will have a demonstration like this one on Saturday evening in Vineyard Haven.

Sail MV, as part of its Vineyard Cup festivities this weekend, will host the U.S. Coast Guard in Vineyard Haven Harbor Saturday at 5:15 pm for a search and rescue demonstration featuring a Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod and a 45-foot response boat from Station Woods Hole.

The demonstration will showcase basket hoisting maneuvers near the breakwater, according to Sail MV executive director Brock Callen. Chief Robert Parent from Station Menemsha will be on shore to explain to those gathered what techniques are being employed in the demonstration.

Parent said he expects exercises that involve helicopter/vessel interaction and perhaps some rescue swimmer hoists. He said he also expects some lessons in emergency troubleshooting and cited management of a helicopter cable caught in a sailboat mast as a possible example.

The event is free to the public and can be viewed from the shore.  The harbor will close to marine traffic at 5:10 pm to accommodate the demonstration, Tisbury harbormaster John Crocker said. However Lagoon Pond will remain open.

1 COMMENT

Comments are closed.