IMAGINE HIGHLY TRAINED SERVICE MEN JUMPING OUT
OF
AN
AIRPLANE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN,
IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE
A SERIOUS HEALTH ISSUE.
The most uplifting sight for a mariner in distress is
the arrival of a Coast Guard SAR chopper
It's not a dream, but what men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue, and their associates in the United States Air Force, have done and continue to do. These dedicated and fearless people who risk their lives to save your life are genuine heroes.
If you're going to participate in the Ha-Ha, or are any kind of mariner, it's in your best interest for you to know what the Coast Guard is more than happy to do, and how, in order to save your life and that of your crew.
So it is with great pleasure that the Grand Poobah is announcing that Layne Carter CIV, SAR Specialist, District Eleven/PAC AREA Command Center/JRCC Alameda — aka 'Mr. West Coast SAR expert' — will be in San Diego on the weekend November 1 to November 3 to meet with Baja Ha-Ha participants.
"My goal is to get to know as many Ha-Ha participants as possible, to better understand how Coast Guard SAR can serve them, to explain how SAR works, and how mariners can better help themselves in rescue situations."
So far the Grand Poobah has Carter slated for two appearances.
The first will be Friday, November 1, 2-4 pm, at Fiddler's Green Restaurant, Shelter Island Drive. Layne, will be there with Lt Mike Thompson, Chief of the Command Center in San Diego. Thompson is a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer. They will give a presentation and be ready to answer questions for as long as anybody has them.
Layne's second appearance will be at the Ha-Ha Kick-Off Party at the West Marine Super Store on Rosecrans in San Diego on November 3. Layne will have a table set up from 1 pm until 4 pm — and longer if necessary — to answer everyone's questions.
As far as the Grand Poobah is concerned, these are incredible opportunities for Ha-Ha folks — and others as room permits — to learn about how to respond to emergencies at sea.
Layne Carter, far left, is an ex-Coastie and current
federal
employee — thus the beard — who
is the
head of SAR operations
on the West Coast.
He wants to get to know you.
— For example, if you're 50 miles off Cedros Island and your boat starts taking on lots of water in the middle of the night, who should you call, the U.S. Coast Guard or the Mexican Navy? And what is the best way to reach them?
— Suppose you're 1,000 miles into a passage to Tahiti, and a crew member begins to suffer severe chest pains. Can the Coast Guard help, and if so, how?
— What if a crew member suffers a serious but not life-threatening injury? Should you set off an EPIRB, knowing the Coast Guard will have no idea if you're boat is sinking or it's non-life-threatening injury?
— You can ask what's more important, a rugged EPIRB that only has one-way communication, or a device such as a Garmin InReach, which has two-way communication?
— Assume you will have to be rescued from a life raft? If there anything you should do, or not do, to help?
The Grand Poobah believes that the Coast Guard SAR is government at its very best, and hope as many of you as possible will take advantage of these opportunities to meet Layne. We know most of you will be very busy getting your boat ready, and know Friday afternoon is not the most convenient time, but I hope you can join us. It would be a huge help if you could RSVP so we can plan accordingly.
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