This report was sent to me from my cousin Captain George Heintz.
It's a little hard to read but interesting..here is a summery of what happened.....the entire report follows.... a 24 FT sailboat adrift
...A. MR. PHAM STATED HE HAD SET SAIL FROM LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA
> SOMETIME IN JUNE BOUND FOR CATALINA ISLAND. A FEW DAYS INTO HIS
> 26NM TRANSIT HE ENCOUNTERED A STORM IN WHICH HE BECAME DEMASTED. HE
> STATED HIS RADIO BROKE SHORTLY AFTER HE GOT UNDERWAY SO HE THREW IT
> OVERBOARD. HE HAS NO FAMILY, SO NO ONE REPORTED HIM OVERDUE OR
> MISSING. HE WAS ADRIFT FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS AND ABOUT
> 2600NM. HE SURVIVED ON SEAGULLS AND FISH, AND COLLECTED RAINWATER
> IN A BUCKET.
Capt George Heintz
Pacific Area Operations Oversight
(510)437-3493
gheintz@d11.uscg.mil <mailto:gheintz@d11.uscg.mil>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Heintz, George CAPT
> Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 2:27 PM
> To: Heintz, George CAPT
> Subject: FW: SITREP ONE AND FINAL 24FT S/V SEA BREEZE ADRIFT 275NM SW
> OF, P 180545Z SEP 02 CCGDELEVEN ALAMEDA CA//CC//
>
> P 180545Z SEP 02 ZUI ASN-P01261000012
> FM CCGDELEVEN ALAMEDA CA//CC//
> TO COMPACAREA COGARD ALAMEDA CA//PO/PCP//
> INFO COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//G-OPF/G-OPR/G-IPA//
> USS MCCLUSKY
> DIRJIATF EAST//J3//
> USDAO GUATEMALA CITY GT
> AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA
> COMCOGARD LALB LOS ANGELES CA//PA//
> COMDESRON ONE
> JSSROC KEY WEST FL
> BT
> UNCLAS //N16130//
> SUBJ: SITREP ONE AND FINAL 24FT S/V SEA BREEZE ADRIFT 275NM SW OF
> COSTA RICA
> PERIOD 171000T - 1812T SEP 02
> 1. SITUATION:
> A. CURRENT STATUS: MASTER IS ON BOARD USN VSL, S/V SUNK AS
> OBSTRUCTION TO NAVIGATION WITH OWNERS CONSENT.
> B. NOTIFICATION: JIATF EAST CDO
> C. NARRATIVE: DISTRICT ELEVEN RECEIVED A REPORT FROM JIATF EAST
> THAT A PATROLLING P-3 SIGHTED A 24FT S/V DEMASTED WITH ONE PERSON
> ON BOARD 275NM SW OF COSTA RICA. JIATF EAST HAD DIRECTED A NEARBY
> USN VSL TO INVESTIGATE. D11 ASSUMED THE TACON OF THE USN VSL WHEN
> IT ARRIVED ON SCENE WITH THE SAILBOAT. THE USN VSL SENT A RESCUE
> AND ASSISTANCE TEAM OVER TO THE S/V TO DETERMINE THE NATURE OF
> DISTRESS. THE OWNER/OPERATOR, A 62YOM, STATED HE HAD BEEN ADRIFT
> FOR FOUR MONTHS. THE S/V HAD BEEN DEMASTED IN A STORM, IT ALSO HAD
> NO WORKING ENGINE AND NO RUDDER. THE OWNER/OPERATOR AGREED TO BE
> TRANSFERRED TO THE USN VSL AND PROVIDED CONSENT FOR THE USN VSL TO
> SINK THE S/V AS AN OBSTRUCTION TO NAVIGATION. THE USN VSL SANK THE
> S/V IN 2688 METERS. THE USN VSL WILL TRANSFER THE OWNER/OPERATOR AT
> THEIR NEXT PORT OF CALL.
> D. DESC: 24FT S/V SEA BREEZE, CF 5791 CE, WHITE HULL/WHITE SS
> E. POB INFO: OWNER/OPERATOR: MR. RICHARD VAN PHAM, 62, US CITZ
> F. WX: WINDS: 290T/5KTS, SEAS: 4-6FT, VIS: 8NM
> H. SMC: CCGDELEVEN
> 2. ACTION TAKEN:
> A. 181000T: JIATF EAST NOTIFIED D11 OF ADRIFT S/V.
> B. 1030T: JIATF EAST DIRECTED USN VSL TO INVESTIGATE.
> C. 1243T: USN VSL SHIFTED TACON TO D11.
> D. 1250T: USN VSL HAS VISUAL OF S/V.
> E. 1255T: USN VSL LAUNCHED RHIB WITH CORPSMAN
> F. 1305T: RHIB MADE CONTACT WITH S/V, MASTER REFUSES MEDICAL
> ASSIST. REQUESTS MECHANICAL ASSISTANCE.
> G. 1315T: R AND A TEAM EVALUATED THE VESSEL. UNABLE TO REPAIR.
> H. 1405T: USN VSL RQST TO TAKE OWNER ONBOARD AND DESTROY S/V AS
> OBSTRUCTION TO NAVIGATION.
> I. 1435T: MASTER AGREES TO EMBARK USN VSL.
> J. 1530T: MASTER EMBARKED USN VSL. AUTHORIZES USN TO SINK S/V
> AS OBSTRUCTION TO NAVIGATION.
> K. 1808T: S/V SUNK IN POSIT 06-03N 088-13W IN 2688 METERS.
> 3. FUTURE PLANS: USN WILL TRASPORT OWNER TO THEIR NEXT PORT OF CALL
> FOR TRANSFER TO US CONSULAR AGENTS.
> 4. AMPLIFYING INFO:
> A. MR. PHAM STATED HE HAD SET SAIL FROM LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA
> SOMETIME IN JUNE BOUND FOR CATALINA ISLAND. A FEW DAYS INTO HIS
> 26NM TRANSIT HE ENCOUNTERED A STORM IN WHICH HE BECAME DEMASTED. HE
> STATED HIS RADIO BROKE SHORTLY AFTER HE GOT UNDERWAY SO HE THREW IT
> OVERBOARD. HE HAS NO FAMILY, SO NO ONE REPORTED HIM OVERDUE OR
> MISSING. HE WAS ADRIFT FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS AND ABOUT
> 2600NM. HE SURVIVED ON SEAGULLS AND FISH, AND COLLECTED RAINWATER
> IN A BUCKET.
> B. FOR USDAO/AMEMBASSY RQST ARRANGE FOR TRANSFER TO CONUS WHEN
> USN ARRIVES IN PUERTO QUETZAL, GT.
> 5. CASE STATUS.
> A. CASE CLOSED.
> B. SORTIE DATA:
> 1) USN VSL: 8.0HRS
> 2) PERSONNEL HRS: 3.0HRS
> C. CASE NUMBER: D11 UCN 094-02.
> D. SARMIS NUMBER:
CC account of rescue Long but interesting "24 ft sailboat ad
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Gary L.
One Great Survival Story !
Great survival story, should make a great book and/or movie. Gets me to thinking and planning for the answers to the "what ifs".
Gary Lapine
Red Witch III
CD30C, #339
Somerset, MA
dory26@attbi.com
Gary Lapine
Red Witch III
CD30C, #339
Somerset, MA
dory26@attbi.com
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Mike L.
"The Codger and the Sea"
12 weeks and 2600 nautical miles averages to about 30 nm a day. If he were a participant in a Long Beach to Cosa Rica race with like sized boats he may have been in contention. The guy will probably get a book and movie deal out of his misadventure.
mikit@pioneer-net.com
mikit@pioneer-net.com