Mid-Atlantic rescue for US pararescuemen and Portuguese Air Force

Footage is shown below.

Seven US pararescuemen from the New York Air National Guard provided medical treatment for two injured crewmen onboard a cargo ship in the mid-Atlantic on 25 April, after a five-hour flight and a night parachute jump into the sea. The sailors were later picked up by the Portuguese Air Force.

Three crewmen aboard the Tamar, a 635-ft (194-m) bulk cargo freighter registered in the Marshall Islands, were badly burned and one was killed on 24 April when an explosion occurred in the ship’s forward storeroom early in the morning, according to the First Coast Guard District Rescue Coordination Center in Boston, US. The captain requested medical assistance.

The US Air Force said it was contacted by the Coast Guard because of the ‘unique capabilities’ of the Air Force and Air Guard search and rescue wings. The 106th Rescue Wing, which is based at Gabreski Air National Guard Base, New York, was given the mission of flying help to the Tamar, which was originally heading from Baltimore for Gibraltar, but changed course for the Azores following the explosion.

The wing launched an HC-130P/N King search and rescue aircraft from the 102nd Rescue Squadron carrying eight aircrew, seven pararescuemen and a combat rescue officer from the 103rd RQS, and two aircraft maintainers, at 13:30 hrs. The aircraft deployed seven pararescuemen and a rigid rescue boat into the Atlantic near the Tamar. The airmen then boarded the boat, headed to the ship, and rendered aid to the injured sailors.

The first ‘stick’ of pararescuemen was in the water at 19:50 hrs EDT, and by 22:00 hrs, all seven were onboard and providing aid to the injured crewmen on the Tamar, according to 106th RQW operations officials. Unfortunately, an additional sailor died of his injuries before the guardsmen could reach the ship, they said.

With the pararescuemen onboard the Tamar, the aircraft recovered to St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, to conduct maintenance. As the ship steamed to the Azores, the Portuguese Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the rescue mission, since the US Coast Guard is responsible for co-ordinating rescue operations within 1,300 miles of the US coast.

On 26 April, Portuguese Air Force assets were dispatched from Air Base 4, Lajes, in the Azores to fly out the Tamar. A 751 Squadron helicopter picked up the patients as the ship was some 450 km from Lajes, along with three of the US pararescuemen. The patients were transported to Terceira Island, where they were handed over to 504 Squadron for onward flight to Lisbon, Portugal, onboard a Falcon 50 plane.

Speaking of the mission, Col Nicholas Broccoli, the 106th RQW vice-commander, said: “The 106th RQW is happy to support the Coast Guard in this rescue mission. This is what we train for and our pararescuemen, pilots, crew members and the rest of our team are the best of the best.”