The Captain Frank A. Erickson Award is presented to Air Station Cape Cod crew of CGNR 6033 in recognition of their heroic efforts on 15 February 2015. The actions of LT Hess, LT Vanderslice, AMT2 Suba and AST3 Staph resulted in saving two sailors from the sailing vessel SEDONA. Demonstrating superior airmanship and judgment, the aircrew of CGNR 6033 responded to a 406 MHZ EPIRB from the SN SEDONA located 200 nm south of Cape Cod in the middle of a severe winter blizzard.

The treacherous weather engulfing the entire East Coast grounded three other Coast Guard aircraft, leaving the CGNR 6033 150 NM from the closest point of land without a cover aircraft to provide communications or rescue assistance. After battling snow, ice, turbulence and hurricane force winds for over an hour and a half, CGNR 6033 arrived on scene and lowered the rescue swimmer into 60 knot winds and 35′, raging, freezing seas. The temperatures were so cold, immediately upon opening the cabin door, the flight mechanic was blinded when his visor flash froze. Further complicating the rescue, during the third of seven hoists CGNR 6033’s primary hoist control unit failed and would only operate in the up direction.

During the recovery of the second survivor on back up hoist controls, the rescue basket began to swing towards the survivor. The rescue swimmer bravely blocked the basket with his arm to prevent the basket from contacting the survivor’s head. Due to the lack of adequate hoist controls, the basket had not discharged its static buildup in the ocean. When the basket struck the rescue swimmer, the static discharge was so great it temporarily disoriented the rescue swimmer for approximately five seconds. During that time, the rescue swimmer never let go of the survivor. Quickly recovering his senses, the rescue swimmer assisted the survivor into the rescue basket and completed the hoist. After completing the recovery of the rescue swimmer, CGNR 6033 turned for home and encountered the same blizzard conditions for the transit back to Cape Cod. Arriving in white out conditions and relying on sea dye markers to identify the runway, CGNR 6033 landed safely on deck at Air Station Cape Cod and delivered the survivors to awaiting EMS.