• Sunday-What'sUP December 8 - 05:12 pm

Good morning?
We're runnig considerably late today.
There's usually some post here by now iven if the pics aren't up. What's going on?

Our apologies for the late start today on the Pasty Cam. We will be adding more pictures associated with the loss of the Mesquite off the tip of the Keweenaw 20 years ago.

I heard about the grounding at about 12:30PM. I flew my plane out to the site when the were evacuating the last personell off with the USCG helicopter.
I took one of my workers with his camera and he got pictures of people on evac sling being lifted out. It fogged in for three days after so these were the only shots of the rescue. I took hundreds of film pictures in the 9 months it was grounded, including the sinking.

It's hard to understand how a Coast Guard cutter got into this situation. What's the story on this?

If you want the full story you can read "Death of a Cutter" by Frederick Stonehouse, a great in depth story.
In general, "murphy's law" prevailed that night. After lifting the Keweenaw Point navigational buoy, the cutter backed out and away from the reef. They sat idle in the water while securing the buoy and in the meantime the wind and water current pushed them closer to shore. They got underway without verify their position and ran hard aground. Several days later a storm blew through causing more severe damage to the hull.

A sad way to retire a Coast Guard cutter.

That is sad, The Coast Guard is my favorite
branch of the service.

Mark,
Thanks for the info. I'll have to read the book. How interesting.
Thanks again.

And yes, how truly sad I must add.