Video release: Coast Guard assists Troopers with rescue of 2 stranded hikers, dog near Valdez, Alaska

united states coast guard 

 Coast Guard Alaska 150th anniversary

News Release  

July 5, 2017
U.S. Coast Guard 17th District PA Detachment Anchorage
Contact: Coast Guard PA Detachment Anchorage
Office: (907) 428-4140

Video release: Coast Guard assists Troopers with rescue of 2 stranded hikers, dog near Valdez, Alaska

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak forward deployed to Forward Operating Location Cordova assists the Alaska State Troopers by hoisting two stranded hikers and their dog from steep terrain at Gold Creek near Valdez, Alaska, July 5, 2017. Neither of the hikers reported medical concerns. Video by Air Station Kodiak.

Editors' Note: Click on images to download high resolution version.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from AirStation Kodiak forward deployed to Forward Operating Location Cordova assisted the Alaska State Troopers Wednesday with the rescue of two stranded hikers and their dog from steep terrain at Gold Creek near Valdez.

The Jayhawk crew hoisted the two hikers and their dog and safely transported them to Valdez Airport to awaiting EMS. Neither hiker reported medical concerns.

Watchstanders at the 17th Coast Guard District command center received a request for agency assistance at approximately 1 p.m. from the Alaska State Troopers that two hikers became stranded on steep terrain at Gold Creek.

“This case highlights the close coordination and communication with the Alaska State Troopers and the solid partnership our two agencies share,” said Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Ayd, command duty officer for the 17th District. “Crews at the FOL in Cordova demonstrate the multi-mission capability of rescuing not only fishermen in Prince William Sound but also those folks who find themselves in trouble in Alaska’s outdoors.”

FOL Cordova consists of a Kodiak-based MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter with supporting air, ground and communications crews. The FOL increases the Coast Guard’s readiness and allows for faster responses to emergencies in the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound.

Weather on scene was reported as 3.5-mph winds with 10 miles visibility.

 

2017 marks the 150th anniversary of the Coast Guard’s presence in Alaska. On August 12, 1867 the Revenue Cutter Lincoln transported the first federal officials to Sitka for the formal transfer of proprietorship from Russia on October 18, 1867. Since then, the Coast Guard's duty to protect the people and waters of Alaska and the Arctic has grown alongside the 49th state's ever-increasing role in American commerce, Arctic exploration and national sovereignty.

 

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