1972 — Dec 16, USCG rescue helicopter with rescued boat crew crash, Gulf of Mex. off FL–8

–8 Brownwood Bulletin (TX). “Mercy Mission Ends in Disaster,” Dec 18, 1972, p. 2.
–8 Check-six.com. Fatal Coast Guard Aircraft Accidents – 1970s.

Narrative Information

Check-six.com:
“Date of incident: 16 December 1972
“Crash related deaths: LCDR Paul R. Lewis (CG Aviator #955)
MAJ Marvin A. Cleveland, USAF (Exchange pilot)
AD1 Edward J. Nemetz
AD3 Clinton A. Edwards

“Plus four crewmen from the F/V Wanda Dene
William Peek
George Dayhoss
Herbert Hardy
Paul Manley

“Air Stion the aircraft and/or crew were assigned to: Air Statin St. Petersburg

“Aircraft type and Coast Guard tail number: Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican. 1474

“Location of the incident: Gulf of Mexico west of Sarasota, Florida

“Description of the incident:

“It was late on Saturday when the fishing vessel Wanda Dene, sent out a distress call. It was 35 miles southwest of Key West, taking on water and sinking in rough seas and needed assistance. Helicopter 1474 was launched with its crew of four for a long range rescue. The helicopter arrived overhead the Wanda Dene several hours later and successfully hoisted the four crewmen from the sinking vessel in rough seas. The 1474 then flew to the Naval Air Station, Key West, FL to refuel. From there 1474, now with eight people aboard, departed for a return flight to St. Pete at about 7 p.m. Normal flight operations were reported with regular radio position reports until about 8:30 p.m. Two days later a small portion of the helicopter was found in the Gulf of Mexico south of Fort Myers. Despite a massive search very little of the aircraft was ever found and only one body, that of one of the fisherman, was ever found. Cause of the crash was never determined.”

Newspaper:

Associated Press, Dec 18: “St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP) — A mercy mission has ended in apparent disaster for four Coast Guardsmen and the four fishermen they saved from a sinking shrimp boat after the rescue helicopter crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. “We’ve found some debris from the helicopter near the spot where we lost communications with them but we’ve found no survivors or bodies,” Coast Guard Lt. William Shields said late Sunday. “We’re going to keep searching.”

“The big twin-engine HH3 helicopter and its crew left St. Petersburg Saturday afternoon, rushing to the aid of the 54-foot trawler Wande Dene which had radioed it was breaking up in 10-foot seas some 60 miles southwest of Key West. Despite the foul weather and the slate-gray skies, the copter’s crew bucked the 20-knot winds and finally spotted the fishermen. Within minutes the Coast Guard team had plucked them from their crippled boat.

“Safe on dry land again, the eight men relaxed at Key West, Fla., during a refueling stop, then headed north toward St. Petersburg and home. But about 9 p.m., the helicopter ceased communications with its base. No hint of trouble had preceded its disappearance from radar scopes. As temperatures dipped to near freezing Sunday morning two Coast Guard cutters joined two patrol boats and six airplanes in searching several hundred square miles of coastline between Venice, Fla., and Tampa Bay.

“Sunday afternoon one of the airplanes spotted debris floating about 50 miles southwest of here. Ships sped to the scene and-verified the wreckage was from the copter. All the men were stationed at the Coast Guard base in St. Petersburg.” (Brownwood Bulletin (TX). “Mercy Mission Ends in Disaster,” Dec 18, 1972, p. 2.)

Sources

Brownwood Bulletin, TX. “Mercy Mission Ends in Disaster,” 12-18-1972, p. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=122815832

Check-six.com. Fatal Coast Guard Aircraft Accidents – 1970s. Accessed 1-18-2022 at: https://www.check-six.com/lib/Coast_Guard_Aviation_Casualties.htm#1970