alaska ranger

[mechanictim]

The fishing boat Alaska Ranger was fishing in the same area where they film the popular series Deadliest Catch. The Alaska Ranger reported a flooding in the rudder room which spread and resulted in the loss of the vessel. This was the largest cold water rescue ever by the Coast Gaurd with one helicopter reporting seeing miles of flashing red rescue beacons. One helocopter even dropped a fisherman 30 feet back into the ocean and was too low on fuel to pick him up again. I think they rescued twenty not sure how many were lost.

I saw this on ABC news tonight. I realize these guys are fishing for a living, But it made me wonder how a large scale rescue would be conducted in Minnesota. If one of those big party barges on Mille Lacs, Leech or Winnebigosh were to go down early in the season when the water is still cold who is going to provide rescue services?

[LMITOUT]

I read that it was a processing ship with about forty on board. I wonder if it's one of those ships that the "Deadliest Catch" boats drop their crab off at?

[Scott K]

"But it made me wonder how a large scale rescue would be conducted in Minnesota. If one of those big party barges on Mille Lacs, Leech or Winnebigosh were to go down early in the season when the water is still cold who is going to provide rescue services? "

Im sure a few of the 8 million people out fishing would help out!

[Eric Wettschreck]

 Originally Posted By: mechanictim

it made me wonder how a large scale rescue would be conducted in Minnesota. If one of those big party barges on Mille Lacs, Leech or Winnebigosh were to go down early in the season when the water is still cold who is going to provide rescue services?

I can't speak for these areas, but where I live it would be a coordinated effort between various fire departments and the sheriffs deputies. Which, we do conduct drills on. No helicopters would be used, of course, as we don't have them. It would be waterbourne rescue only.

If it were cold water, night time, bad weather, etc, many of the victims would not make it as the amount of time required to conduct this type of rescue is huge. There's always hope that we'd get them all but the reality of the situation is shortly after the few known survivors were rescued, it would turn into a recovery operation.

Of course, the other boats already in the area would help out, hopefully, if they knew of what happened.

[mechanictim]

Read that there were forty seven on board and forty two rescued with four confirmed fatalities and one missing.