| Office of Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard First District |
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| News Release |
Date: Dec. 31, 2009 |
| Top Coast Guard Missions - #1 |
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PORTLAND, Maine — In 2009, Sector Northern New England responded to 660 cases and saved countless lives. The August rescue of two off Acadia National Park highlights the level of commitment and professionalism that Coast Guard men and women demonstrate every day to rescue those in peril. As Hurricane Bill sped up the East coast of the United States, Acadia National Park visitors viewed the massive swells generated by the storm near Thunder Hole inside the park. A large sell knocked dozens of people to the ground, many of which suffered injuries. Seven people were swept off a ledge into the ocean. Four of those people were able to swim to safety but a man and two children were carried out into the surf. A Coast Guard 47-foot motor lifeboat crew was training in the area and responded to the rescue call. A rescue controller from Sector Northern New England’s Command Center in Portland coordinated the boat crew’s efforts and Coast Guard jet and helicopter crews from Cape Cod, Mass. Through the coordinated effort, Peter Axilrod, 56 of New York, N.Y, and Simone Pelletier, 12, of Belfast, Maine, were rescued after about an hour in the surf. Seven-year-old Clio Axilrod, who had no vital signs when she was recovered, could not be revived despite the efforts of the rescue crew and a medical team at a nearby hospital. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England is proud to protect and serve the people, mariners, and communities in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. 2009 was a busy year as Coast Guard personnel from the region rescued and responded to many dramatic scenes. In a series of releases beginning Dec. 22, 2009, ten of the most interesting Coast Guard moments from the past year in Northern New England will be recapped. For additional information please contact the on call Public Affairs representative at the number listed above.
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