Louisiana Blue assists in high-seas rescue

By JO2 Dan Zanchi - Periscope Staff

Photo courtesy of USS Louisiana (SSBN 743)

The tugboat Hercules drifts as it takes on water. The crew of USS Louisiana (SSBN 743)(B) were instrumental in aiding the vessel, serving as a communications link to the U.S. Coast Guard.

USS Louisiana (SSBN 743)(B) recently helped the U.S. Coast Guard rescue a vessel in distress while underway off the coast of South Carolina.

Hercules, a small, independent tug boat, was in dire straits as it took on water with no land in sight. Miles away, Lt. Cmdr. Brad Baker, Louisiana Blue engineer and officer of the deck, spotted a flare in the sky.

“It was 5 a.m. and we had just finished surfacing,” Baker said. “We saw a red light on the horizon, and then I clearly saw a flare shot into the air.” Baker mustered the crew’s man overboard party, and began speeding toward the flare.

Photo courtesy of USS Louisiana (SSBN 743)

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter approaches Hercules. The helicopter crew provided the distressed vessel with a rescue swimmer and dewatering pump until further help could arrive on the scene.

“We tried repeatedly to contact the ship, but they were having problems communicating,” Baker said. “The communications were initially bad, so we were acting as a relay between the boat and the Coast Guard.”

“It took about 45 minutes for us to get where we could even see them,” Baker said. “We were in contact with the Coast Guard and they sent a helicopter out that dropped a swimmer and a portable dewatering pump.”

Louisiana stayed close to the Hercules for nearly eight hours, until a Coast Guard cutter could relieve them to assist Hercules to port.

“The crew of Hercules was very happy to see us,” Baker said. “They had been trying to contact someone for awhile, but they couldn’t relay information all the way to the shore.With our help, they were able to relay information to the Coast Guard and get the help they needed.”