It’s about eleven-thirty, most of the ship has turned in. I’m brushing my teeth and Engineer Officer Lt.Tony Erickson knocks on the door to tell me we have a SAR case.

I shoot up to the bridge. A fisherman on a longliner about 25 miles away has got a fishhook through his eye. His skipper is on the VHF with the Ops officer. He sounds tense but in control. He says they’re not set up for a hoist by helo, he’s got two masts and a guy wire running from bow to mast to mast to stern down the centerline of his ship. The winds are calm and the seas no more than three feet. It’s full dark, no moon yet, Orion looming large on our starboard bow.

By now everyone who is always there during an incident is present, Captain Lloyd, XO LCdr. Thorne, Operations Officer Lt. Scott Littlefield, Chief Petty Officer Steve Ross, Petty Officer Frank Brown, BM3 Jen Elwell, BM2 Brandon Gourley. HS1 “Doc” Brouhard, the ship’s Corpsman, stands by for medical assessment and recommendations. The aviators are piped to the bridge.

Everyone gathers round the Captain.

Chatter us coast guard uscg cutter alex haley