Coast Guard Foundation event
The Coast Guard Foundation used the 34th annual Salute to the U.S. Coast Guard in New York City as a backdrop to honor crew from Air Station San Francisco and Station Humboldt Bay, California.
Air Station San Francisco crewmen earned the Coast Guard Foundation Award for their actions on July 30, 2013, when the helicopter team saved six hikers stranded in remote cliffs near Point Reyes, California, in thick fog that required them to fly below the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate bridges. The crew used night-vision goggles and radar to find the hikers, and then managed to rescue them despite shifting winds and a mid-mission refueling effort.
Station Humboldt Bay crewmen earned the Coast Guard Foundation Award for their actions on May 3, 2013, when they rescued two mariners who had capsized into frigid surf. The mariners had begun to suffer from hypothermia, which the crew treated after retrieving them from the pounding sea with a throw bag.
“We are humbled to recognize these individuals for their exceptional commitment and sacrifice,” Coast Guard Foundation President Anne Brengle stated in a news release. “Although we are highlighting the actions of helicopter aircrew CG-6515 and Motor Life Boat crew 47212 for their incredible heroism and professionalism, our salute to the Coast Guard is about honoring all of the men and women who risk their lives on a daily basis to protect others.”
To learn more about the individual Coast Guard members who were honored, or to support the Coast Guard Foundation, visit www.coastguardfoundation.org.
