The Coast Guard Foundation announced the details of its annual tribute to the 8th Coast Guard District.
Sector Mobile (Ala.) will be honored in New Orleans on Friday for its skill and leadership in organizing a mass search-and-rescue operation last April 25.
An unforeseen storm struck Mobile Bay and nearby Mississippi Sound that day with tropical storm-force winds and waves, grounding a 600-foot tanker and affecting 117 sailboats in a race. More than 470 sailors and crew were in the bay that afternoon as the storm whipped up with little warning, creating a chaotic scene as competitors scrambled to react.
Sector Mobile quickly responded, coordinating numerous assets and 34 local agencies to initiate 30 search-and-rescue cases in the affected area. About 10,000 square nautical miles and 149 miles of shoreline were searched, rescuing 40 people and saving $8.9 million in property.
“It is an honor to recognize Sector Mobile for their extraordinary skill and collaboration,” Coast Guard Foundation president Anne Brengle said in a statement. “Their teamwork and coordination with dozens of local agencies and volunteers exemplifies the very best of our Coast Guard.”
