The White Falcon - 14.12.2001, Side 1

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White Falcon
Featuring
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Vol. 60 No. 50 online at www.nctskef.navy.mil December 14, 2001
56th Rescue Squadron employs
team effort, saves fisherman
Story by JOl Linda Pepka
It was a day unfit to be outside in the ele-
ments, let alone fly, while gale force winds,
heavy seas and driving rain passed through
the Keflavik area last Friday. Nevertheless,
when the Icelandic Coast Guard requested
assistance rescuing the crew of a boat in
peril, Team Keflavik rose to the challenge
marking the 300th save for Air Force rescue
units assigned to Iceland since 1971.
The Svanborg, a 30-gross ton steel fishing
boat, was caught dead in the water during
Friday’s storm. Thrown about by heavy
breakers, the boat became wedged between
two rock pinnacles below the Svortuloft
cliffs on the Snsefellsnes peninsula.
The first to receive the call warning that a
boat was in distress was 1st Lt. Dante
Kubischta from the Joint Rescue
Coordination Center (JRCC). Kubischta and
Senior Airmen Diana Isbell set the operation
into phase one by executing the necessay
phone notifications.
The 932d Air Control Squadron (ACS)
provided essential communication command
and control relay to the 56th Rescue
Squadron (RQS) during the operation. The
ACS duty operational crew, led by Tech. Sgt.
David Harrison, began routine procedures to
ensure mission success said the 85th Group
Plans and Exercise Director, Maj. David
Merrifield.
“When I arrived on scene, the duty crew
had the situation well in hand,” said
Merrifield. “I proceeded to coordinate with
the 56th RQS Combat Search and Air
Rescue (CSAR) mission Coordinator and
Commander, Lt. Col. Keith McCready, and
gave descriptions of the boat and informa-
tion on the Icelandic Coast Guard rescue hel-
icopter, the Super Puma, and the 56th RQS
helicopter, the HH-60G Pavehawk.”
He added that they continued to monitor
frequencies to ensure that the Pavehawk
remained safe during the winter storm.
Earlier that day, gale wind conditions, with
gusts nearing 70 knots, had forced aircraft
Morgunblabladid/A Ifons Finnsson
Hellissandi
(Gufuskglari
Prestahrau/
.25 Site of
Nesh^ Svanborg SH
' '4*6*1 grounding
BeruvSk
BemvKU(hi
Icelandic Coast Guard Director,
Hafsteinn Hafsteinsson presents
a certificate of appreciation to
the 56th Rescue Squadron
Combat Search and Rescue crew
for rescuing an Icelandic fisher-
man who was stranded west of
Snaefellsnes (left) Dec. 7.
(Photo by Senior Airman Victor Cabrera)
inside hangar 885 said Maj. Javier Casanova, the 56th
RQS alert pilot.
“When the call came in, our first concern was the
weather. The helicopter needed to be fueled and severe
winds prevented us from opening the hangar doors,”
said Casanova. “We were fortunate to have had main-
tained, ESSO employees and the folks who operate
snow removal equipment secure an area on the leeward
See Rescue page 15
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