The U.S. Coast Guard has released a video of a dramatic rescue taking place in rough open seas approximately 300 miles off the shores of Virginia on January 14. A 42-foot catamaran named Be Good Too was in trouble on its way from the Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City, New Jersey, to St. John in the Virgin Islands. The sailboat’s rudders had been disabled by high winds and a surprising wave, according to Charles Doane, one of the sailors on board the ailing sailboat. The damage to the rudders only allowed for turns in one direction, which made it impossible for the team to continue the journey in any direction.
The stranded sailors chose to contact the Coast Guard via satphone and the rescue effort was set in motion. The rescue mission was challenged by the remote location of the ship — too far away from shore for the Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk to fly out and return on one fuel tank. Hence, the crew had to land the helicopter on the USS Ross, a 505-foot missile destroyer, which diverted course to help out in the rescue effort.
The video below shows the Jayhawk’s dramatic landing on the destroyer in what appears to be high winds and rough seas and the rescue of the four sailors who were subsequently brought to the Air Station Elizabeth City in North Carolina.
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