PJs rescue Chinese fishermen

Eggs sends us a link which tells the story of PJs of the 563rd Rescue Group who were getting ready for their readiness exercise when they got a call from the Coast Guard to aid in a rescue of the crew of a Chinese fishing vessel off the coast of Baja Mexico, according to the Air Force Times;

Five hours later, the first HC-130J Combat King left Davis-Monthan with six pararescuemen aboard. After refueling, the HC-130J completed the 1,100-mile flight to the scene, and the six PJs parachuted into the sea with an inflatable Zodiac boat. They sped toward a Venezuelan-flagged tuna fishing boat that had picked up some of the sailors.

At the boat, the pararescuemen were directed to an “infirmary” — about the size of a walk-in closet — to treat nine survivors. Two sailors died before the airmen arrived. Six are missing.

For two more days, the pararescuemen treated the survivors in the makeshift infirmary, until they could get within range for Pave Hawks to fly out and retrieve the patients. Two of the surviving sailors sustained serious burns.

“On a tuna fishing vessel, the environment was not as sanitary as we’d like,” said 1st Lt. Benjamin Schmidt, combat rescue officer with the 48th Rescue Squadron.

According to the article, not only did the PJs have to overcome the working conditions aboard the boat, there was a language barrier, too. that operation successfully completed, the PJs got a day’s rest and went off to their training exercise.

Category: Air Force