A Very Special Honor

Because I'm so proud of Josh, I wanted to share a story from CoastGuardNews.com which details a case that he was very much involved in earlier this month, and how he was recognized and given a special honor from his Sector Commander last night:

Six Rescued From Capsized Boat:
DETROIT - U.S. Coast Guard Station Belle Isle rescued a six persons from the water near Bishop Park in Wyandotte, Michigan at 1:21 pm today.

U.S. Coast Guard Station Belle Isle received notification from Wyandotte Police Department reporting that a 16 foot vessel capsized with four persons were in the water and needed assistance. Three individuals without personal floatation devices clung to the capsized vessel as the fourth person wearing a personal floatation device floated away. Two bystanders from shore jumped into the water to help the fourth person but were overwhelmed by the current.

A 33 foot Special Purpose Craft - Law Enforcement (SPC-LE) from Station Belle Isle on patrol was diverted to respond. A 21 foot MK-7 from Canadian Coast Guard Station Amherstburg responded to assist. The U.S. Coast Guard recovered all six individuals and transferred them to local EMS with no reported injuries. The Canadian Coast Guard vessel recovered the capsized vessel and transferred the vessel to commercial salvage.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit reminds the public while near the water to exercise caution and while boating wear a properly fitted personal flotation device (PFD), tell a family member or friend where they are going and when they will return, and have a reliable means of communication.

Coast Guard Sector Detroit directly oversees all Coast Guard missions on South Lake Huron, Lake St Clair and Western Lake Erie from Stoneport, Michigan to Vermilion, Ohio.

Click here for the story at CoastGuardNews.com.

Last night at the beginning of a brief in front of about 150 members of local law enforcement teams (such as the Detroit Police, Windsor Police, Canadian Coast Guard, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Belle Isle and Sector Detroit Stations, etc.) Josh and four others who were crucial in saving those six individuals in the above story were recognized and given a Coast Guard Coin from US Coast Guard Sector Detroit Commander Beck. It was a really neat (and rare) honor. Click here to learn more about the history of military coins (scroll down the page for more information). Congratulations, babe!