NAVFAC Seabee Divers Rescue Capsized Boater off San Nicolas Island

By Mason Lowery, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Public Affairs

SAN NICOLAS ISLAND, Calif. (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command Engineering Service Center (NAVFAC ESC) Seabee divers rescued a capsized boater who had been drifting in the ocean for five hours Friday, Sept. 14.

Local boater Ivan Jureczky, 60, clung to the keel and straddled the hull of his 15-foot capsized sailboat Friday afternoon, praying for rescue and losing hope 10 miles offshore between Point Mugu and San Nicolas Island. Five hours passed as he drifted further out to sea, fighting waves, hypothermia and exhaustion.

Jureczky's fate was almost left to ocean currents, but as the sun sank lower and lower on the horizon and visibility waned, a team of Seabee divers were returning from an annual maintenance mission just off the island aboard the Diane G, a Naval Air Systems Command contract vessel based out of Port Hueneme.

Trevor Rowe, captain of the Diane G, spotted what he thought was an odd looking piece of debris floating 1,000 yards off the ship's bow. He diverted course for inspection and the crew and passengers sprang into action 200 yards from the debris when they realized it was a capsized boater.

Three of the NAVFAC ESC Seabee divers launched their 19-foot inflatable boat from the Diane G and rescued Jureczky.

Once aboard, the Seabee divers, who are trained in first aid, immediately treated Jureczky for mild hypothermia.

"It is my professional opinion that if the [captain] had not noticed the overturned vessel, Mr. Jureczky would have not survived the night," said Senior Chief Eric M. Eaton, NAVFAC ESC Dive Locker command master diver. "He had no operable radio, no distress equipment or lights and was dressed in jeans and a light jacket. He had overturned near Channel Islands Harbor and drifted for what he estimated was five hours. He was picked up at dusk in Sea State 2 and there were no civilian boats operating in the immediate area and he was far outside the regular sea lanes. He was not expected home until later in the evening and so was not even noticed as missing yet."

The average water temperature where Jureczky was rescued is 62 degrees, according Lt. Sean Arumae, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. The air temperature on Friday was about 80 degrees, but dropped to 65 after sunset. In those conditions, according to the Coast Guard's probability and serviceability decision aide, a person matching Jureczky's body type would suffer loss of functionality due to hypothermia after approximately nine hours, and suffer cardiac arrest after 12-14 hours.

"Had those Seabee divers not come upon him, we would have been looking for a person in the water, not a drifting vessel," Arumae explained.

Jureczky was overcome with gratitude to the Seabee divers and crew of the Diane G following his rescue.

"My family and I are so grateful to you for very likely saving my life," said Jureczky. "Your unparalleled professionalism and positive attitude saved the day for many people."

The Seabee divers assigned to the NAVFAC ESC Dive Locker are specialized Navy divers. Their specialization includes providing small boat and diving operations, planning and support for projects and tests, as well as underwater construction equipment procurement support and acceptance testing.

Their mission offshore of San Nicolas Island Friday was to replace the island's fuel hose and inspect its moorings. In order for the island to receive fuel, large barges must connect to the hoses that are a 1/4 mile offshore and pump the fuel to the supply tanks for the island.

The divers disconnect the hose from the riser (underwater connecting point) and a crane pulls the hose up on the barge and sends down a new hose for the divers to connect. They also take measurements and do minor repairs on the four buoys around the hose for barges to moor to when they offload fuel.

Two CID Students Rescue Near-Drowning Victim at Pensacola Beach

By Gary Nichols, Center for Information Dominance Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- Two Center for Information Dominance (CID) Unit Corry Station students rescued a near-drowning victim at Pensacola Beach late Saturday evening.

Information Systems Technician "A" school students ITSN Cameryn Cassell and ITSN Justin Harris were about to board a bus about 7:30 p.m. to take them back to Corry Station when they heard shouts that someone was in trouble.

It was past sunset, and the beach lifeguards were off duty. In the dim light, it took the Sailors a few moments to locate the swimmer.

"I looked around and didn't see anything at first," Cassell said. "Then I saw a head come up and then it went back down under, and then it stayed under for a while and then it came back up again."

Cassell, who grew up surfing in the Atlantic Ocean near his hometown of Hubert, N.C., recognized that someone was in imminent danger and immediately took action.

He and Harris both raced into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico to render assistance to the struggling swimmer, who was about 150 yards offshore past the breaks

Cassell reached the victim first.

He said the victim was underwater, and he had to swim down to retrieve him.

"Cassell got to him first and grabbed him as soon as he went underwater," Harris said. "It was almost like something you'd see in a movie."

Fortunately the victim was still conscious, but began vomiting once he resurfaced.

The swim back to the beach was challenging, with an outgoing rip current and reported surf of two to three feet in the Gulf of Mexico.

"I put my arm around his chest and I started swimming back in, and that was a good 150 yards out," Cassell said. "And the whole time I was swimming against the current, because he had gotten sucked out by a rip current and I was swimming against it the whole way back in."

Both Cassell and Harris brought the victim to shore. Within minutes, an emergency team had arrived.

Station 13 Fire Rescue Officer in Charge, Lt. Daniel Ackerman said his station responded to the call about the distressed swimmer, and that the Sailors bringing the victim safely back to the beach made all the difference in the outcome.

"If the Sailors hadn't been there, it would have definitely been a different situation because he was completely exhausted by the time they got him in," he said.

Without the Sailors providing assistance, Ackerman's rescue team would have had to search the waters for the swimmer before they could render aid. The darkness would have definitely hindered any rescue efforts.

"With it being dark, it really tasks us to get there and find the victim and get them ashore and do everything we need to do," Ackerman said. "The Sailors were able to go get him, and bring him in safely and it definitely was a better call than we would have expected if they hadn't done that."

Santa Rosa Island Authority Director of Public Safety Bob West said swimming in the Gulf of Mexico can be dangerous, especially if factors such as drinking, surf, darkness or fatigue are involved.

"The Gulf is an unforgiving place; it is inherently dangerous," West said. "But it had a good outcome, so kudos to them."

CID is the Navy's Learning Center that leads, manages and delivers Navy and joint force training in information operations, information warfare, information technology, cryptology and intelligence.

N.Y. Engineer company reaches new heights refurbishing historic fire tower

By Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Wheeler

New York National Guard

BEACON, N.Y. - Trekking up the 1600 feet of rugged, unforgiving terrain of Mount Beacon, Citizen-Soldiers of the New York Army National Guard's 1156th Engineer Company spent two weeks sharpening their skills, as well as learning new ones refurbishing the fire observation tower located at its summit.

 "The project request started out as a complete overhaul for the tower to include painting, adjusting handrail heights, adding fencing, and rebuilding the cabin atop the tower," said Cpt. Daniel L. Colomb, commander of the 1156th Engineer Company.

 "We are basically trying to make it safer," said Spc. Osse Jean-Pierre, a carpenter assigned to the 1156th who also performs part-time general maintenance in his civilian job. "We replaced some rails, changed all the top panels, and painted it so it won't rust."

 Built in 1931 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, the Mount Beacon Fire Observation Tower requires serious repairs and updates to modern building codes before state engineers can OK it for public use.

 "It's all about preserving a historic site that showcases the beauty and heritage of the Mid- Hudson Valley," said Colomb. "Thousands of people walk the trails around Mount Beacon each year. Some use the trails for exercise and some simply enjoy a nice hike or picnic with family and friends."

 Mount Beacon, located near the City of Beacon, is the highest point in the Hudson Highlands chain of hills. The Mount Beacon fire tower, used until 1975 for fire-spotting duties, commands a 75-mile view of the Hudson Valley and Connecticut.

 History aside, this project has gotten the community involved and excited about this project.

 "I've heard stories from hikers and local residents that describe their excitement in getting to finally go to the top and visit the tower after all these years," Colomb said. "One gentleman even told me how excited he was to take his father up the mountain to see the tower that he hasn't seen since he was his son's age."

 "We have a retired Sgt. 1st Class that comes up here every day," said 1st Sgt. Gregory Sinclair. "He is very excited about getting up there just for the view."

 Colomb also added that the community at large is happy to see progress come from the many donations made to the historical society and specifically the Beacon Fire Observation Tower restoration project.

 Community support notwithstanding, projects like these benefit the Soldiers, both personally and professionally.

 "These community based projects are priceless training opportunities for my Soldiers," Colomb said. "Not only are they able to train and exercise their skills, but they are also able to do it in a 'real life' environment."

 "I get a feeling of accomplishment and feel good because we are doing something good for the community," said Jean-Pierre. "Personally I love doing things to help other people, especially something I can use at my civilian job."

 "The biggest thing about this project is that it's something different," Sinclair said. "It's nice for these guys and for the unit to do something for someone other than the military.

 "When we do something at Camp Smith (New York's state training facility) who sees it? Not many, but when we do something like this, thousands of people will be able to use it and enjoy it," Sinclair said.

 The project helped the engineer Soldiers learn to adapt, which helps prepare them to respond to state emergencies or challenges on active duty, Colomb said.

 "Training piece aside, the biggest thing these projects provide my Soldiers is critical thinking and problem-solving skills," Colomb said. "There is no great way to train a Soldier to react to the many situations they may encounter in a natural disaster or war-time situation. These projects give my Soldiers that ability."

 No strangers to serving both the military and civilian communities, the Soldiers of the 1156th have had a busy year, he added.

 He cited responses to two tropical storms, construction projects and various training scenarios in New York and Puerto Rico.

9/11: Remember Past, Honor Present, Cherish Future

By Navy CAPT Paul S. Hammer, DCoE director

Each generation of Americans witness, and some personally experience, “a date which will live in infamy.” These specific moments are etched in our minds and in the history of our country. They are periods of time recalled in an instant, by some more vividly than others. Where we were, what we were doing, what we were feeling — these powerful shared experiences bond each generation with the next.

Generations were witness to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the attempt on President Ronald Reagan’s life, and the terrorist attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Never forgotten, always remembered.

Like others, I too, can recall where I was, what I was doing and what I was feeling on Sept. 11, 2001. I was on the west coast at the time. It was a warm, bright sunny day, like so many others that year in California and I was headed back to the clinic after my workout. When I arrived back at the clinic, it was then that I saw the slowly developing news coverage and the collapse of the Twin Towers. Looking back I just remember thinking, everything has changed.

On the 11th anniversary of 9/11, I urge all Americans to remember the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen who are still at war, and particularly those who gave their lives defending our nation during the last 11 years. We also pay tribute to the veterans, wounded warriors and their families who shoulder the burden of war here at home and will continue to do so for decades to come.

While we will never forget all that was lost on 9/11, I ask that you also remember what we gained as a country. As a part of the National Day of Service and Remembrance, I hope each and every one of us can rekindle the growth of a country sparked by an unspoken bond and once again come together to give back to our communities — today, tomorrow and the next. In doing so we ensure we are honoring the victims, survivors and those who volunteered to serve the days, weeks and years following Sept. 11, 2001.

No matter how you choose to pay it forward, whether it’s through volunteering, charitable organizations or random acts of kindness, your efforts will make a difference.

Godspeed.