No Rest for these guys..........missed the end of the Game

[Tamaroa]

Coast Guard crew called out during big game
STEVE REEVES
Associated Press

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Coast Guard helicopter pilot Kent Everingham was enjoying one of the best fourth quarters in recent Super Bowl memory when an emergency call came in that a fishing boat was floundering in heavy seas off the coast of Charleston.

"I waited almost the whole game to see how it would turn out, but then that call came in," Everingham said Monday.

Everingham missed the late-game heroics of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady because he and his Coast Guard colleagues were displaying courage of their own by flying into winds that at times reached more than 60 mph to rescue the three-man crew of the Still Crazy II, a commercial fishing boat out of Georgetown.

Everingham and his crew, based at the Coast Guard station on Johns Island, rushed to their rescue helicopter about 9:45 p.m. Sunday and began the nearly 50-mile journey to reach the stricken boat. The rescuers also faced a sea with 15-foot swells, snow flurries and poor visibility.

Everingham had a good idea of where the fishing boat was, but the weather meant visibility was almost zero. The boat crew had fired the last of its flares when Everingham, using night-vision goggles, spotted the Still Crazy II. It was taking on water and quickly sinking into the dark, cold water. The gusty wind made it difficult for Everingham to keep the helicopter steady for a rescue.

Because the fishing boat's three pumps couldn't keep up with the amount of water rushing in, another pump was lowered to the vessel from the helicopter. But it quickly became clear that even a fourth pump wouldn't save the Still Crazy II. The boat's captain decided to abandon ship, and a nearby tanker, the Stiverson, offered to take in the crew. But the heavy sea swell washed away the lifeboat before the crew could get aboard.

The crew of the Still Crazy II, wearing specially designed suits, then jumped into the 65-degree water so that Everingham's helicopter could attempt to hoist them to safety. A Coast Guard rescue swimmer jumped into the water to assist.

Everingham battled high winds for the 30 minutes it took for the fishermen to be hoisted into the helicopter, but in the end, everyone was safe.

"That was probably the most challenging hoist I've ever done in my career," Everingham said. "The wind was definitely howling."

The Still Crazy II's crew, Larry Smith, Dave Lang and Ron Wood, were taken back to Charleston. Attempts to reach them for comment Monday were unsuccessful.

The fate of the Still Crazy II is still unknown. Coast Guard officials think it probably sank, though the vessel's location beacon is still functioning. Everingham said he's just glad the fishermen were rescued.

"They were in good condition," he said. "Those survival suits they were wearing helped save their lives."
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Bill