Members of the Royal Canadian Air Force helped the United States Coast Guard during a search and rescue mission off the Oregon Coast on July 24.
At around 11:30 a.m., a CC-295 Kingfisher was dispatched from 19 Wing Comox to provide top cover for a United States Coast Guard (USCG) MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter during a search and rescue mission. The aircraft were conducting a medical evacuation of a Canadian mariner about 300 kilometres off the coast of Oregon.
"Given the distance from shore, the Kingfisher maintained visual oversight during the hoist operation and then escorted the Jayhawk toward the coastline until the USCG helicopter had re-established communications with U.S. Coast Guard Station - Astoria, before returning north to Comox," a release from 19 Wing says. "The patient was transferred directly by the USCG to a medical facility in the United States.
"This mission highlights the strength of the Canada-U.S. cooperation and interoperability on the West Coast. Our crews train together regularly for missions like this, including during exercises such as the upcoming National SAREX 2025," the release continued.
