Coast Guardsmen Were Investigating a Suspicious Item Floating in a Known Drug Transit Zone: Ended Up Rescuing Two Large Sea Turtles Entangled in Fishing Line

Coast Guardsmen aboard the Cutter Stratton from Alameda, Calif. who were investigating a suspicious item floating in a known drug transit zone off the coast of Central America last month instead made a unique rescue.

Video released by the Coast Guard shows that instead of drugs, the crew found two large sea turtles entangled in fishing line and makeshift buoys.

"There was no question what we had to do," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Hylan Rousseau, the coxswain of Stratton's interceptor boat. "And no one spoke a word. We immediately moved in to rescue mode."

An officer-mounted camera captured the rescue operation. One of the turtles had line wrapped around its neck, which restricted its airway and caused apparent respiratory distress.

"We cut the first turtle free without much incident," said Chief Petty Officer Brian Milcetich, a member of the law enforcement team. "While we were freeing him, we could see the second, and much larger turtle, was quite literally choking to death. He had been trying so hard to free himself from the fishing line that he had cinched the line around his own neck."

After lifting the approximately 70-pound turtle aboard the boat, officers used a specialized pair of sheers normally used by emergency medical technicians to sever the line. The video shows the turtle spew out water and take a deep breath once the line was removed from its neck.

"Everyone was elated," said Milcetich. "As you see in the video, he (the turtle) didn't stick around to celebrate."

The second turtle jumped back into water and swam away.

"It's another perfect example of the Coast Guard's ability to quickly adapt to different missions," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Jerry Renfroe.

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Happy Veterans Day

A special "Thank You" to all that took the time to serve. It didn't go unnoticed.

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Man Adrift At Sea for 30 Hours Says, " A Porpoise Gave Me Purpose"

A fisherman who spent 30 hours adrift at sea after his boat capsized has said he found the strength to survive through an encounter with a friendly porpoise.

Joey Trevino, 37, credited the creature with keeping him going when he was alone in the rocky waters off the Gulf of Mexico and all hoped seemed lost.

The father, from San Antonio, Texas, had been on a fishing trip with his uncle and two friends last Saturday when their 25ft boat began to take on water and sank, ABC News reported.

Joey Trevino, 37, was on a fishing trip with his uncle and two friends when their 25-foot boat sank in the rocky waters off the Gulf of Mexico Saturday. the father was adrift at sea for 30 hours before he was rescued.

"We noticed all the water coming on board and, the whole front of the boat started going up," Mr Trevino told the news channel.

All three men were wearing life vests, but Mr. Trevino drifted away from his companions, who were spotted by another vessel on Sunday and pulled to safety after 24 hours at sea.

Mr. Trevino waited alone for help to arrive and thought about his wife and children to give him the strength to keep going.

"You're looking at the clouds," he said. "You're looking at whatever to try to keep you focused."

Alone at sea, Mr. Trevino said that as he drifted he encountered a porpoise which gave him the strength to fight on and eventually swim to safety.

"He kind of bumped me, and I kind of rubbed him, and he kind of changed my attitude right there," Mr. Trevino said. "He kind of ... gives you hope."

Mr Trevino said the porpoise (file picture) changed his attitude and gave him hope of survival.

Despite bumps and bruises, along with cuts on his hands and a hoarse voice, Mr Trevino was lucky to escape without major injuries. The warm water temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico helped him avoid hypothermia.

Mr Trevino held on until crew members from an oil tanker heard his cries for help and called the Coast Guard who lifted him to safety.

"When he came up, he seemed very aware of his surroundings," said the Coast Guard's Guy Walkner. "He was shaking. We were able to give him a blanket."

Despite a few bumps and bruises, along with cuts on his hands and a hoarse voice, Mr. Trevino was lucky to escape without any major injuries.

The warm water temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico, which are in the mid-80s, helped him avoid the danger of hypothermia, despite the many hours he spent at sea.

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Crew Members from Coast Guard Station Cape May Rescue and 800 Pound Leatherback Turtle in New Jersey

Atlantic City, NJ -  A huge leatherback turtle got a second chance at life thanks to the Coast Guard and some animal experts in New Jersey.

Crew members from Coast Guard Station Cape May and the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine rescued the approximately 800-pound turtle Saturday.

It had become tangled up in fishing gear 30 miles off South Jersey.

A good Samaritan aboard a recreational fishing boat spotted the distressed turtle and notified watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay.

A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Atlantic City took a Marine Mammal Stranding Center crew member to the Station Cape May boat crew located near Corson's Inlet.

They traveled to the GPS coordinates provided by the Good Samaritan and located the entangled turtle.

Once on scene, the Station Cape May boat crew and the Marine Mammal Stranding Center crew member assessed the situation and worked to free the turtle from the fishing gear.

"Everybody was excited," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Nick Giannaris, the crewman who physically removed the entanglement from the turtle. "It was one of my better experiences being in the Coast Guard, just seeing the animal so close and helping marine life. Everyone was pretty energized about the whole experience."




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