The Perfect Rescue

George Hall

Tuesday, January 01, 2002 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The cruise ship SS Sea Breeze, with a history of bad luck, foundered in a severe Atlantic gale, leading to a desperate rescue mission for its 34-person crew.
Coast Guard helicopter 6031 faced extreme conditions including "absolute-zero visibility," 60-knot gusts, 35-foot waves, and a temperamental automatic flight control system during the rescue.
Despite the chaos and official policy, the helicopter crew successfully hoisted 26 panicked crew members, often in pairs, resulting in an overcrowded cabin for the challenging two-hour return flight.
The mission is hailed as "the greatest Coast Guard aerial rescue ever," showcasing exceptional airmanship, crew coordination, and the robust capabilities of the Sikorsky H-60 Jayhawk in dire circumstances.

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If, as hoary nautical tradition holds, it’s bad luck to rename a ship, then the poor old SS Sea Breeze was damned and damned again.

The midsize (606 feet) cruise ship began life in 1958 as the Federico C, designed for service out of Genoa for immigrants heading to new lives in Buenos Aires and Sydney. In a later and particularly hideous configuration she was tarted up with bright red hull paint, based in Florida and rechristened the Starship Royale. A Greek company, Dolphin, then acquired the aging ship and came up with the name Sea Breeze. Premiere Cruise Lines bought out Dolphin, took over its vessels and went bankrupt.