It's Getting Wild Out There

[JOHN COOKSON]

I read a litle snippet of news on the internet yesterday.
It seems a panga (spelling?) type boat rammed a Coast Guard boat somewhere off southern California, on purpose, and killed a Coastguardsman.
Did anyone else hear about this?
I can't find anything about it today on the internet news.
I sure hope they arm the Coast Guard adquate weapons in the future.

TRUE GRIT

[ndutton]

Yeah, it happened in our neck of the woods or more accurately, Thatch's. The panga was spotted running in the middle of the night without lights by a C130 in the vicinity of the Channel Islands near Santa Barbara. A USCG cutter was dispatched from Marina Del Rey (Los Angeles airport area) and once on site they launched their inflatable RIB for better high speed maneuverability. The panga refused to yield and turned directly into the RIB throwing two coasties into the water. One survived but the other was hit in the head by the RIB's propeller.

The man who died was involved in a severe weather rescue of an owner and crew of a Catalina 30 earlier this year in the same area.

Here's more:

http://www.easyreadernews.com/61900/redondo-beach-coast-guard-officer-killed-while-pursuing-panga-boat-in-southern-california/

Mexican drug smuggling via the sea has become quite commonplace in our area. The USCG was involved in over 500 interdictions in the past 2 years alone. The trend is the smugglers are trying for landfall farther and farther North.

[roadnsky]

The man who died was involved in a severe weather rescue of an owner and crew of a Catalina 30 earlier this year in the same area.

Here's more:

http://www.easyreadernews.com/61900/redondo-beach-coast-guard-officer-killed-while-pursuing-panga-boat-in-southern-california/

Wow!
That has me a bit pissed off...

[67c&ccorv]

Tragic...RIP brave sailor.

[Dave Neptune]

Desperation

It is amazing how stupid some of these "transporters" are. If they have been spotted they ARE caught. With the sources of the CG and the other law enforcement authorities that are just a radio button away from involvement and the "IDIOTS" take a life when there is virtually no escape route left for them. This is truly stupidity and desparation spun out of control.

By the way for those not familiar with Ponga's, they are quite stout and very seaworty for an open boat. It is actually amazing how much they can carry for a cheap invetment, their "idiot" transporters are a dime a dozen for a few dollars and little risk for those paying them.

Dave Neptune

[Sony2000]

Another reason why the tide is turning, on pot prohibition.

[ndutton]

On the other end of the transport scale they're going high tech too. They've been known to build and use functional submarines and towable "torpedoes" that can be cut loose when the mother ship is detected and retrieved via radio control later.

The finances are such that these transport means are disposable if necessary, people too. It's all about the cargo.

[dvd]

For our East coast brethren a panga is an open boat usually about 20 feet long or so with a good sized outboard that are used in Mexico. When you go to mexico you see all the fisherman with them. Lately they have been used by drug runners from mexico to the US because they are small and fast.

dvd

[Mo]

Aim True.

Sniper in a chopper would have been golden after that episode. He be having a bad day though....taking a number of shots to take out the engine... unfortunately there would be no one on board....and the boat sinks.
....if you get my point. Snipers don't miss. These coast guard chopper snipers are trained to take out the engines with a shot.

[Laker]

Damn shame. It's everywhere - There have been recent discoveries of pot fields in illegally cleared areas of the Chequamegon National Forest here in northern Wisconsin. Guess who --- the cartels.

A young soldier died in the line of duty. Damn shame.

[ndutton]

Once the RIB was rammed and USCG crewmen were in the water the cutter immediately focused on their crew and let the panga escape. It was re-engaged 3.75 hours later by a USCG helo 20 miles from the Mexican border.

To give you an idea of a crude panga's capability, that's an average of 35.2 knots for nearly 4 hours in open ocean, all of it in darkness. They were traveling with the normal swell rather than into it.

[sastanley]

From a logistics perspective, imagine the amount of fuel those crude boats are carrying (in addition to their cargo which is the real payoff) to be able to manage those speeds for that extended period of time.

Indeed, Damn shame about the USCG service member just doing his job.

[Mo]

I concur....damn shame indeed.

[TomG]

As a former "Coastie" who did a lot of this kind of work from the air and as a Coast Guard uncle whose nephew is a boarding team member on a 110' cutter, I have followed this story with equal parts sadness and concern. Being on a boarding team is an extraordinarily dangerous job, especially at night. While it's not like taking out Bin Laden, it is still very dynamic and very unpredictable.

The USCG is a relatively small service and a loss like this hits everyone. There are so many family legacies and deep, deep friendships within the service that a phrase re-occurs often: "Coulda been any of us, feels like all of us." For example, the CG C-130 involved in this case was based at the CG Air Station in Sacramento. The skipper of that station is an old flight school chum and his wife and my wife are "besties." When this tragedy happened, his wife was visiting us here in Maryland when he called to tell her what had happened. I immediately checked on my nephew who had already called his mom and fiancee' and also checked on two friends of his.

These young people perform, nearly unheralded, extremely dangerous work for precious little pay; from open sea Law Enforcement boardings, to ship and oil rig inspections, to fisheries enforcement, to search and rescue. If you see a young Coastie (or Guardian as they are called now) in the next few weeks, pat them them on the back, tell them you followed this story, and thank them for their service. Buy them a cup of coffee, or a cold beer if they're old enough. A simple recognition of their loss is the greatest respect you can pay.


"Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar."

Crossing the Bar - Tennyson

Chief Boatswain's Mate (BMC) Terrell Horne stood the watch on the front lines of Coast Guard operations throughout his nearly 14 years of active duty. He previously served at Coast Guard Stations Emerald Isle, Humboldt Bay and Charleston, and also sailed aboard the CGC DALLAS. BMC Horne is survived by his wife, who is expecting their second child, and a daughter. Rest in Peace, Chief Horne. And may God shine His face upon your wife and children.

The Coast Guard Foundation

[Mo]

Two thumbs up

Good post Tom.