Posts Tagged ‘Sector Detroit’
Barge runs with 3.7 million gallons of gasoline runs aground in Detroit River
DETROIT - The U.S. Coast Guard and local salvage compaines are working to safely remove a barge that ran aground Sunday, at 6:30 p.m., on the Detroit River.
The 115-meter barge contains approximately 3.7 million gallons of gasoline.
Coast Guard to host multi-agency training exercise
DETROIT - On Sept.17 and 18, Coast Guard Sector Detroit will host Boundary Blitz, a training exercise involving a security incident at a private sector facility on the St. Clair River and a major oil spill on the Detroit River. This full scale exercise emphasizes awareness, prevention, response and recovery from the fictitious security incident and major oil spill. U.S. response teams from local, State, Federal and private sector entities and Canadian response teams in the Province of Ontario will participate. They will focus on multi-agency notifications, coordination and use of the Incident Command System. The event will bring together dozens of agencies to work in an environment closely simulating a real world contingency response.
Sept. 17 - Preparedness Response (PREP) Exercise: The exercise will be driven by a fictitious oil spill from a Coast Guard regulated facility. This simulated large oil spill in the Rouge River will affect the Detroit River on the U.S. and Canadian shoreline as well as portions of Lake Erie.
Sept. 18 - Area Maritime Security Exercise: This exercise will involve a fictitious Transportation Security Incident (TSI) at a Coast Guard regulated facility on the St. Clair River.
Media opportunities include viewing oil collection operations near Elizabeth Park in Trenton, Michigan, on September 17th, and visiting the Unified Command / Incident Command Post at the Best Western Concorde Inn in Clinton Township, Michigan, on either Sept. 17 or 18.
Coast Guard Sector Detroit directly oversees all U.S. Coast Guard missions on Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie from Alpena, Michigan to Vermillion, Ohio.
Toledo Area Agencies Schedule Exercise to Test Security Plan
TOLEDO - The U.S. Coast Guard, Federal, state and local response agencies, and local industry are scheduled to conduct an exercise here on Wednesday.
The Area Maritime Security Exercise Program (AMSTEP), which simulates a major maritime transportation security incident (TSI), is one of a series of federally mandated exercises the Coast Guard holds throughout the country.
The one-day exercise is designed to test components of the Western Lake Erie Area Maritime Security Plan. Tested components will include communications between maritime stakeholders; regulated facilities; and Federal, state, and local agencies within the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Toledo’s area of responsibility, as well as coordination between responding agencies. This exercise will also initiate recovery planning by focusing on establishing priorities for re-opening the port of Toledo and surrounding navigable waterways should the port become impacted by a TSI.
Exercise simulations will mirror real world conditions but there will be no vessel movements or personnel response.
Some of the agencies and industries involved include the Coast Guard: Ninth District, Sector Detroit, MSU Toledo; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Ohio Homeland Security; Ohio Emergency Management; Ohio DNR, Division of Watercraft; City of Toledo: Bridges/Streets/Harbors, Fire, and Police Depts.; Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority; Lucas County Emergency Management Agency; Lucas County Sheriff’s Office; CSX Transportation; Wheeling-Lake Erie Railway Co.; Kuhlmans’ Corporation; Great Lakes Towing; The Great Lakes Pilots Association; Detroit Edison; Midwest Terminals International; The Anderson’s; Wohlleb & Socie; BP Toledo Refinery; Sunoco Toledo Refinery; The University of Findlay Center for Terrorism Preparedness; and Kraft Foods.
Coast Guard Searches for Missing Swimmer in Detroit River
DETROIT - The Coast Guard, Wayne County Marine Division, and Police Departments from Grosse Ile and Trenton, Mich., began searching the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River, yesterday, for a male swimmer who is missing.
The 39-year-old is a resident of San Diego.
The man left from a dock belonging to a family member on Grosse Ile. A family friend indicated the missing man is a good swimmer and swam in the channel in the past.
Coast Guard Station Belle Isle, Mich., received a call from the Wayne County 911 dispatcher at approximately 9 p.m., yesterday. A Coast Guard Air Station Detroit HH-65 Dolphin helicopter and a Station Belle Isle 33-foot Special Purpose Craft - Law Enforcement boat searched throughout the night and into the morning.
The Wayne County Sheriffs Marine Division, Grosse Ile Dive Team, and Grosse Ile and Trenton Police Departments are assisting with the search efforts.
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit reminds the boating public to heed all broadcasted weather warnings during impending storms. People on the water should exercise caution, wear properly fitted personal flotation device PFD/life-jacket, tell a family member or friend where they are going and when they will return, and have a reliable means of communication.
Sector Detroit directly oversees all Coast Guard missions from Alpena, Mich., to Vermilion, Ohio, on Lake Huron, the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, Lake St. Clair and Western Lake Erie.
Coast Guard Conducts Search for Missing Boater
DETROIT - Coast Guard Sector Detroit received a report of a woman falling overboard from a recreational boat near the center of Lake St Clair late yesterday evening. The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit is coordinating search and rescue efforts along with the Macomb County and St. Clair County Marine Patrols.
Approximately 7:45pm last night, Macomb County Emergency Operations Center received a call from a boat operator stating a passenger had fallen overboard. The operator was not able to recover the victim and had trouble communicating the situation, operating the boat and anchoring. A Coast Guard small boat from Station St Clair Shores was on a patrol and found the boaters in distress. Upon boarding, the male operator was found on deck, heavily intoxicated and unconscious. A female passenger was observed in the boat’s cabin; she was also intoxicated, unconscious, had a low heart rate and in need of immediate medical attention. The two were transported to Station St Clair Shores. The female passenger was then transported to St John’s Hospital for treatment. The operator is in custody of the Macomb County Sheriffs.
A third passenger, an approximately 25 year old female, remains missing. Initial reports indicate she fell overboard while the vessel was underway from 9-mile to Muscamoot Bay. Small boats from Macomb County and St Clair County Marine Divisions, Coast Guard Station St Clair Shores and a helicopter from Air Station Detroit conducted extensive searches. The Coast Guard helicopter and small boat continued their search efforts throughout the night near the St. Clair Crib Light. The Macomb County Sheriff conducted an investigation.
Coast Guard Sector Detroit reminds the boating public to heed all broadcast weather warnings during impending storms. People on the water should exercise caution, wear properly fitted personal flotation device (PFD/life-jacket), tell a family member or friend where they are going and when they will return, and have a reliable means of communication.
Coast Guard Sector Detroit directly oversees all Coast Guard missions from Alpena, Michigan to Vermillion, Ohio on Lake Huron, the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, Lake St. Clair and Western Lake Erie.
Coast Guard Rescues Bayview Mackinaw Racers
DETROIT (D9 Public Affairs) - Coast Guard Sector Detroit coordinated search and rescue and a medical evacuation of a 35-year-old crewman who fell overboard from the sailing vessel Night Train during the Bayview Mackinaw Race 31 nautical miles east of Harrisville, Mich. in the early hours today.
At approximately 1:44 a.m., a Coast Guard rescue helicopter arrived on scene, however, the damaged mast/rigging did not permit a safe transfer from the small boat. Within fifteen minutes, the 140-foot Cutter Biscayne Bay arrived on scene to assist. The cutter sent an EMT in a small boat to assess the victim’s condition.
After discussions with crew and medical flight surgeon, it was determined that it was in the victim’s best interest to get him to a medical facility for further evaluation. The seas had grown to 3-5 feet and winds were 20 knots, as the cutter small boat recovered the victim and brought him to the cutter. Once safely on board, the victim was hoisted to the helicopter. The helicopter then safely transported the victim to Alpena Regional Hospital.
The Night Train, a 35-foot sailboat with 11 racers, was participating in the Bayview Mackinaw Race. The boat was nearly halfway into the race in the middle of Lake Huron, when the sail boat had trouble with their sailing rigging. A crewmember climbed the sail boat’s mast to fix the jammed rigging when, for unknown reasons, he fell approximately 40 feet into the water. It is not clear how or why the man fell. Seas were estimated to be 3-4 feet and winds 15 to 20 knots. Fortunately, the man fell clear of the boat and was wearing a life jacket.
A crew member from the sail boat called out for help on their VHF-FM radio. Sarnia Coast Guard received the initial distress call. Sarnia Traffic forwarded the call to U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit’s Command Center which launched rescue efforts and communicated the urgency via VHF-FM radio messages.
As the sail boat attempted to recover the 35-year-old man, the loose rigging fouled the engine and delayed the recovery. Several nearby sailing vessels (sailing vessel’s Liberty, Time Machine, and Canadian Olympia) rushed to the Night Train’s aid as the Coast Guard launched a rescue helicopter from Air Station Detroit. The Biscayne Bay, which was escorting the fleet, also diverted to assist.
The crew of the Night Train was able to successfully recover the man after about 25 minutes. He was entangled in the rigging, had leg and lower back pain, but safe on board. At 1 a.m., the crew successfully started one of their engines and headed to Harrisville, Mich. to repair their boat and get medical attention.
This is the 84th Bayview Yacht Club Port Huron to Mackinac Race. The race started the afternoon of July 12 from the city of Port Huron. The competing sail boats race the new 214 nautical mile course that rounds the NOAA weather buoy 43 miles northeast of Alpena, Mich. and continuing to the finish at Mackinac Island.
The Biscayne Bay is home ported in St. Ignace, Mich. and had the honor of escorting the fleet for this year’s race. The Biscayne Bay is one of 10 Coast Guard cutters on the Great Lakes and is categorized as a harbor tug with icebreaking capabilities.
Coast Guard Sector Detroit reminds the boating public to heed all broadcasted weather warnings during impending storms. People on the water should exercise caution, wear properly fitted personal flotation device (PFD/life-jacket), tell a family member or friend where they are going and when they will return, and have a reliable means of communication.
Coast Guard Sector Detroit directly oversees all Coast Guard missions from Alpena, Michigan to Vermillion, Ohio on Lake Huron, the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, Lake St. Clair and Western Lake Erie.
Coast Guard Sector Detroit Change of Command
DETROIT (CG Public Affairs) – Captain Fred M. Midgette will relieve Captain Patrick W. Brennan of command of Sector Detroit in a change-of-command ceremony on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 10 a.m.
The ceremony will be held at Coast Guard Air Station Detroit located on Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Mt. Clemons, Michigan.
Captain Brennan assumed command of Sector Detroit in March of 2005. As Sector Commander, Captain Brennan was in charge of more than 520 total active duty, reserve and civilian personnel, and over 1,000 Coast Guard Auxiliary members. He oversaw all Coast Guard missions on Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie from Alpena, Michigan, to Vermillion, Ohio, including search and rescue, maritime security, maritime law enforcement, environmental response, domestic icebreaking and waterways management. Captain Brennan fostered strong homeland security and operational partnerships. Under his leadership, Sector Detroit excelled while executing over 3,500 search and rescue cases, over 2000 hours of icebreaking, and over 1,200 vessel and 700 facility inspections. Captain Brennan is transferring to the Eighth Coast Guard District in New Orleans, Louisiana, to serve as the Chief of Response.
Captain Midgette is coming from Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he served as the Coast Guard’s liaison officer to U.S. Northern Command. Captain Midgette is a native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and was commissioned in 1982 at the Coast Guard Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He also holds a Master of Science in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.
Rear Admiral Peter V. Neffenger, Commander of the Ninth Coast Guard District, Cleveland, Ohio, is scheduled to preside over the ceremony.
The change of command is a time-honored tradition and deeply rooted in Coast Guard and Naval history. The event signifies a total transfer of responsibility, authority and accountability for the command. The ceremony is witnessed by all members so that they all know exactly when the transfer of leadership takes place.
Six Rescued From Capsized Boat Near Bishop Park in Wyanndotte, Michigan
DETROIT - U.S. Coast Guard Station Belle Isle rescued a six persons from the water near Bishop Park in Wyandotte, Michigan at 1:21 pm today.
U.S. Coast Guard Station Belle Isle received notification from Wyandotte Police Department reporting that a 16 foot vessel capsized with four persons were in the water and needed assistance. Three individuals without personal floatation devices clung to the capsized vessel as the fourth person wearing a personal floatation device floated away. Two bystanders from shore jumped into the water to help the fourth person but were overwhelmed by the current.
A 33 foot Special Purpose Craft - Law Enforcement (SPC-LE) from Station Belle Isle on patrol was diverted to respond. A 21 foot MK-7 from Canadian Coast Guard Station Amherstburg responded to assist. The U.S. Coast Guard recovered all six individuals and transferred them to local EMS with no reported injuries. The Canadian Coast Guard vessel recovered the capsized vessel and transferred the vessel to commercial salvage.
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit reminds the public while near the water to exercise caution and while boating wear a properly fitted personal flotation device (PFD), tell a family member or friend where they are going and when they will return, and have a reliable means of communication.
Coast Guard Sector Detroit directly oversees all Coast Guard missions on South Lake Huron, Lake St Clair and Western Lake Erie from Stoneport, Michigan to Vermilion, Ohio.