Rescue at Sea video highlights work of RCAF SAR work off Haida Gwaii last week

A call for assistance from the container ship MOL Prestige last week sent a pair of Air Assets from CFB Comox to an area off the west coast of Haida Gwaii, providing for an emergency airlift of three injured crewmen from the vessel.

The injuries were a result of a fire which had broken out on the container ship, leaving it adrift until help arrived, with a helicopter from the Vancouver Island Air Force Base providing for the transportation of the the three crew members to hospital.

Joining the CH 149 Cormorant above the Prestige was a fixed wing Buffalo aircraft also based out of CFB Comox.

The Canadian Armed Forces Operations office has provided a sample of what SAR techs do to bring aid and comfort to those in need, with a short look at the operation from last Thursday.

Also attending to the scene was the Coast Guard Vessel Wilfrid Laurier and a number of other commercial marine vessels in the area.

A heavy duty tug boat based in Washington state arrived on station towards the end of last week, the Pretsige has since been towed back to Vancouver for repairs to the damaged engines.

You can review some of our early notes on the incident here.

For more items related to Emergency Responders in the Northwest see our archive page here.


To return to the most recent blog posting of the day, click here.