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Navy Units Team Up to Save Life

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110419-07
4/19/2011

From Commander Naval Air Force Atlantic Public Affairs

MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- Communication and coordination across multiple naval units is being credited for the rescue of a civilian scuba diver who was injured April 14 off the coast of Mayport, Fla.

At approximately 5 p.m., while conducting a standard training mission, a P-3C Orion aircraft from Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadron (VP) 30 heard a distress call from a civilian vessel that said they had a drowning diver aboard. The air crew immediately relayed the message to the local Coast Guard station, turned toward the vessel which was about 25 miles away, and began coordination with the closest surface ship, USS Simpson (FFG 56), guiding them toward the craft.

Once overhead, the P-3 crew observed two civilians on the deck of the boat performing CPR on a third.

Since Simpson did not have any helicopters aboard, a call was made requesting helicopter support. Capt. Clay Conley, commanding officer of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 40, had just launched from Mayport when he received the call to assist and quickly proceeded to the location. With no crewmen aboard, he was unable to conduct a rescue himself, however, he was able to coordinate getting other helicopters to the scene.

"When I made the radio call requesting helo support, I received an immediate response from multiple helicopters operating in the area," said Conley. "Since I'd been in direct communication with the P-3, I was able to determine exactly who had the best crew composition to affect a rescue."

He was then joined by Cmdr. Michael Steffen, commanding officer of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 60, who was flying that day conducting a training mission with multiple air crewmen. Steffen's co-pilot was Lt. Chris Stuart, a reservist and Jacksonville resident who had taken the afternoon off from his job at Allstate Benefits to conduct routine reserve flight training.

"I assumed this would just be another routine training day to help keep the crew's skills proficient," said Stuart. "Instead, 45 minutes into our training, we had to change gears, going to a real-world rescue scenario. The training we'd received kicked in and we were able to fluidly shift missions in mid-flight and do what we could to help."

After the best course of action was determined, Simpson's rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) was launched and sent to the civilian boat to recover the diver.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (FMF) Christopher Tilley, assigned to Simpson, who was in the RHIB, boarded the craft and assessed the diver's medical condition.

"When I got on board the boat, he was semi-conscious and had minor disorientation," said Tilley. "I'd been briefed that he was unconscious at 110 feet, and had been brought back to the surface."

That, along with his condition, led Tilley to determine that the diver was possibly suffering from decompression sickness, an extremely painful and potentially lethal condition caused by gasses expanding in the blood stream from surfacing too rapidly. He needed to be taken to the nearest decompression chamber as quickly as possible.

"I administered oxygen, and we immediately loaded him onto our RHIB and headed back to the ship," said Tilley.

Within five minutes of the time the RHIB returned, Stuart was able to land his helicopter on Simpson's flight deck so the crew could load the patient.

While the patient was being prepared for the flight back to land, a second helicopter, assigned to HSL 44, arrived on station to assist.

"There's a lot that goes on as part of a rescue like this," said Steffen. "When the HSL 44 helicopter arrived on scene, we were able to divide that effort. That allowed us to focus on treating the patient, and preparing for transport; while they concentrated on the communication and navigation responsibilities."

HSL 44 pilots, Lt. Russel Coble and Lt. j.g. Mark Kummer, determined that Baptist Hospital in Jacksonville would be the best treatment option with their available hyperbaric chamber. They also coordinated ground transportation from Naval Air Station Jacksonville to Baptist and assumed navigation responsibilities to put the rescue helicopter on the most direct route to the air station.

"By taking care of the communications side, the crew from HSL 60 was able to focus on taking care of that diver," said Kummer. "We planned out the shortest route and then flew escort for them, handling the communication with the tower, and ensuring the ambulance was on scene for our arrival."

The patient was transported to the hospital, where he was treated and is now recovering.