12.20.07
Remarks on Rhode Islander Honored by Coast Guard
Mr. President, I
rise today to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of Petty Officer
Scott Higgins of my state of Rhode Island, who today will be awarded
the Coast Guard Commendation Medal for his efforts in the heroic rescue
of the crew of the sailboat Sean Seamour II off the coast of North
Carolina in May.
On May 7, Aviation Machinery Technician 2nd Class Higgins was part of a four-man Coast Guard HH-60 helicopter crew,
including Lt. Commander Nevada Smith, Lieutenant J.G. Aaron Nelson, and
Aviation Survival Technician 2nd Class Drew Dazzo, deployed
in response to a distress signal from the 44-foot sailing vessel Sean
Seamour II. The vessel, on a recreational sailing trip from Green
Coves Spring, Florida to Portugal’s Azores Islands, had capsized amidst
the hurricane-force winds of Subtropical Storm Andrea. The three
sailors aboard were forced to evacuate to a small raft just before
their ship was swallowed by the ocean.
Higgins,
serving as Flight Mechanic, worked closely with Nelson, who piloted the
helicopter, and Dazzo, the team’s rescue swimmer, to execute their
mission. Working quickly and expertly, Higgins lowered Dazzo over and
over again into the towering waves to reach the sailboat crew. Once
the first two sailors had been lifted to safety, Higgins and Nelson
demonstrated what the Coast Guard’s Summary of Action called “the
utmost of crew coordination, teamwork and aeronautical skill” as they
hoisted Dazzo only 30 feet above the water to position him closer to
the life raft and the last survivor.
As
Higgins worked to raise the final survivor from the ocean, he felt the
hoist cable begin to fray with the rescue basket still 100 feet below
the helicopter and the rescue swimmer still in the water. Despite
suffering from exhaustion and the effects of salt water inhalation,
Dazzo waited to request an emergency pickup until he could see that the
last survivor was in the aircraft.
Again
demonstrating extraordinary skill and teamwork in a life-or-death
situation, Higgins managed to get the rescued sailor safely aboard and
immediately redeploy the compromised hoist cable to retrieve Dazzo. In
the midst of an intense storm, all aboard were safely returned to shore.
Higgins
and the rest of his team successfully rescued the crew of the Sean
Seamour II despite a punishing storm that threatened their lives and
the lives of those they were sent to help. As the Coast Guard’s
Summary of Action stated:
“High
winds, treacherous seas and extreme off-shore distances created a
situation that required intense operational risk management, exacting
crew coordination, and incredible skill and courage. Without the
complete competence, concentration, and professionalism of every
crewmember, this operation could have had a disastrous outcome. Each
crewmember was essential to the life saving rescue of three mariners.”
The
Coast Guard Commendation Medal recognizes meritorious service resulting
in unusual and outstanding achievement. The courage, bravery, and
skill demonstrated by Machinery Technician Higgins and in May shows
that he is more than worthy of this great honor.
I
come to the Senate floor today to offer my congratulations to Petty
Officer Scott Higgins and to all those whom the Coast Guard recognizes
today. His achievements have brought honor both to him and to his home
state of Rhode Island.
I thank the chair and I yield the floor.
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