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The
Officers, Directors and Members of
US SAILING
are
pleased to present the
ARTHUR B. HANSON RESCUE MEDAL
to the
crew of
for the rescue as follows:
On May 25, 2000, a Pearson 424 named Ketch Ya Later, was
enroute nonstop from Florida to Connecticut, taking advantage of the
lift of the Gulf Stream with three onboard. While 45 miles off of Cape
Hatteras, NC, the wind calm and seas rolling at 2-feet, 80-degrees air
temperature, 75-degree water temperature and running under motor,
something looked startling up ahead.
With waterspout warnings heard a short time before on the radio, they
had kept a sharp eye out, and saw something that looked like a
waterspout. Upon closer investigation, they realized it was smoke from a
burning boat. Next, across the VHF radio they heard "Mayday.
Mayday."
A Polish father and son, were bringing their 1972 Ferrum 32’ steel
sloop built by her designer, Andrej Arminski, in Szczecin, Poland, from
Miami, FL to Baltimore, MD. They had been sailing and running their
engine due to the light wind conditions, when smoke started filling the
cabin, coming from the engine department. The sleeping son was
unconscious due to smoke inhalation, when the father went below to pull
him out. The son came back to once in fresh air, where upon the father
had an asthma attack. After treating this attack, the son turned towards
fire fighting and discharged a fire extinguisher into the engine
compartment, to no avail.
They decided that the fire was too close to the propane tank and that
they should abandon ship immediately. Along the way, the ditch kit was
grabbed. They inflated the raft and jumped overboard, both missed the
raft and swam for it wearing only their skivvies. There was not time to
get the PFD’s or clothing and put them on. They paddled the raft up
wind away from the smoke. Using their hand-held VHF from the ditch kit,
they made the Mayday call.
Ketch Ya Later not having seen another vessel for two days, was 3
miles away when they heard the Mayday. It took close to a half-hour to
get there and they physically lifted the victims out of their raft up on
to the deck of the Pearson. They watched the Ferrum 32 burn for 40
minutes until the fire went out – because the boat sank!
The victims were given food, clothing and trip to New York aboard Ketch
Ya Later.
For maintaining a watch and providing aid to mariners in distress,
congratulations is owed to the rescuing crew on Ketch Ya Later
including Captain Irin Paris, Jesse Fradkin and Gerry Wood. US
SAILING is pleased to present the Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal
in recognition of this event.
Ralph Naranjo,
Chairman, Safety at Sea Committee
By Direction
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The
Arthur B. Hanson
Rescue Award was awarded at the
South Atlantic Yacht Racing
Association midwinter dinner on January 27, 2001 in Hilton Head, SC
by
SAYRA Commodore Bob Bowden
on behalf of US SAILING. |
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Left to Right: Irin Paris, Jesse Fradkin,
Stand-in for Gerry
Wood, presented by
SAYRA Commodore Bob Bowden. |
Left to Right: Irin Paris, Jesse Fradkin,
stand-in for Gerry
Wood. |
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Photos by
Joe James |
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DETAILS:
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Irin Paris
The log is on Ketch Ya Later; however, we left Ft Lauderdale on
May 20th before dawn and I think it took approximately five days which
would make it May 25th. The latitude and longitude is also in the log,
but since we were at the outer limit of VHF with the US Coast Guard with
our transmissions continually breaking up making it difficult to be
understood. I would place it about 45 - 50 NM off shore. I remember a
few years ago barely speaking with another Coast Guard station at a
range of approximately 50 NM, although I do not know the height of their
antennas.
The Pearson 424 not having seen another vessel for two days, was 3
miles away when they heard the Mayday call. It took close to a half-hour
to get there and they physically lifted the victims out of their raft up
on to the deck of the Pearson. They watched the boat burn for 40 minutes
until the fire went out – because the boat sank!
The victims were given food, clothing and trip to New York aboard the
Pearson.
Irin Paris
Your email to Soundings Magazine with reference to the rescue described
in their December issue page 22 has been forwarded to me.
My name is Irin Paris and am the Captain and owner of Ketch Ya Later,
the 42' ketch rigged sailboat, that rescued the two sailors SE of Cape
Hatteras after they abandoned their 32' steel hull sailboat while it was
burning. My crew consisted of Jesse Fradkin who wrote the article which
was published by Soundings, and Gerry Wood of Montreal, Canada area.
Gerry Wood
This is definitely a surprise.
To answer your questions; 1) The victims did not have on their PFD's as
they had to scramble from their burning vessel. I understand that their
PFD's were inside the boat making it impossible to retrieve them.
2) At the time the seas were calm with very little wind. The boat in
question was under power. The fire started in the engine room we were
told.
3) The air temperature was in the 80's and the skies were clear.
4) As we were in the Gulf Stream I assume that the water temperature
would have been about 75 degrees.
5) The victims were lifted to the deck of the Ketch Ya Later by
myself (Gerry) as Jesse the other crew held their liferaft steady. As I
am a large person I was able to pull them up to the boat. This was done
by holding each others wrists in a firemans wrist lock.
6) I am not aware of the model of boat. I do not believe that it was a
production boat as it was made from steel.
Jesse S. Fradkin
Thank you for your unexpected consideration of our rescue for this
prestigious award. To have been able to be there at the right time and
place for our fellow sailors in distress has been reward in itself, of
course. And now, with the publication of my article, and your interest,
in this that gave us so much pleasure to accomplish, it is becoming an
even more special event in our lives. We are privileged, indeed, just to
be considered in the company of those who have won this award in the
past, and I thank you again for your interest, consideration and
nomination.
My answers to the detailed questions you asked are as follows:
Were the victims wearing PFD's?
No, they were forced to leave their boat so hurriedly and unexpectedly,
that they were only wearing their underwear, nothing more.
What was the Wave Height?
It was a calm day, 1-2 ft.
What was the Air Temperature?
It was in the 80's.
What was the Water Temperature?
It was in the 70's.
How did the victims get from the water level, up on the deck of Ketch Ya
Later (Lifesling, ladder, etc)?
Helped them up by extending arms and pulling them up on deck.
Do you know the make/model of the burned/sunken craft?
It was a Polish built steel-hulled 32' sloop. The designer/maker is said
to be famous in Poland, but I do not know his name.
Any other pertinent information would be our pleasure to supply you if
necessary.
Irin Paris
Were the victims wearing PFD's?
No, they were not. After the son was revived in the cockpit, the father
had a severe asthmatic attack which required the son to attend to him
before he could attempt to control the fire. The severity of his asthma
normally required the father to hook into a 12 volt system twice a day
to remove the accumulated fluid from his lungs using what I think he
called a nebulizer. The son attempted to use the fire extinguisher by
aiming it at the dense smoke coming from the engine compartment, to no
avail.
When they realized that the propane tanks were dangerously hot from the
fire emanating from the engine area, they quickly launched the liferaft,
and grabbed an emergency overboard bag before jumping wearing only their
underwear. Fortunately the emergency bag contained a hand held VHF.
What was the Wave Height?
Relatively calm only approximately 1 - 2 feet
What was the Air Temperature?
In the low 80's
What was the Water Temperature?
It may be in my log on Ketch Ya Later which is currently in
Charleston, SC. I will be there during the early part of December, and
can check it if it is important. My estimation was it was in the middle
70's.
How did the victims get from the water level, up on the deck of Ketch Ya
Later (Lifesling, ladder, etc)?
We reached down with our arms and pulled them aboard from the liferaft.
Since they were wearing only underwear, we provided them with clothes,
boat shoes, hats, fluids, etc.
Do you know the make/model of the burned/sunken craft?
It was a 32 ft steel hulled sloop built in Poland, but I do not recall
the make/model.
When we met their their friends at night on the gas dock at the Liberty
Marina in Jersey City after they had responded to the father's phone
call, one of his friends looked at the liferaft sitting on the dock and
quietly asked, "Is that all that is left?"
There is a Report in Soundings Magazine December 2000.
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