Team Carl Vinson Assists Distressed Mariner

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Travis S. Alston, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs

USS CARL VINSON, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) crew and embarked Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 15 "Red Lions" rendered assistance to a mariner, who had been alone at sea for more than 30 days aboard his 35-foot sailboat, in the Pacific Ocean more than 400 nautical miles off the coast of Honolulu, May 31.

The 70-year-old man is a U.S. citizen making a trans-Pacific transit in his privately-owned vessel.

He is currently receiving treatment from the ship's medical department and is in stable condition. He will be transported from Carl Vinson to San Diego in the next few days pending a medical assessment.

He texted his wife from a satellite phone, and through a series of phone calls involving the U.S. Coast Guard, Pacific Fleet Command and U.S. 3rd Fleet, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson was directed to his aid.

Within minutes, Team Carl Vinson deployed a group of air crewmen and search and rescue swimmers to assist the mariner.

The "Red Lion" crew consisted of a pilot, co-pilot, two search and rescue swimmers, a hospital corpsman search and rescue swimmer and a nurse anesthetist.

"When I first heard we were going to assist someone in need, I knew I had to be on my A-game," said Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Jarad Angel. "It went extremely smooth. I expected it to be more chaotic, but our training prepared us for this."

Carl Vinson and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations en route to the Carl Vinson homeport of San Diego after a nearly ten-month deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.