National Brain Injury Awareness Month
March is designated National Brain Injury Awareness Month. According to the Brain Injury Association of America and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.7 million people in the United States sustain a traumatic brain injury every year, with traumatic brain injury being a contributing factor to a third – or 30.5 percent – of all injury-related deaths in the United States.
Blinded by the light
Weather conditions, crew responsiveness, incoming hazards and myriad meters, gauges and measurements. These are just a few of the things a pilot has to be wary of when flying an aircraft. A new concern is affecting Coast Guard pilots from Cape Cod, to Hawaii, from Puerto Rico to Seattle. Every air station in the Coast Guard is on the lookout for a simple beam of light.
Don’t get carried away
Winter is a particularly dangerous time to be on the beaches of Northern California. Tragically, every year, people and their pets fall victim to sneaker waves. A sneaker wave is a large wave in a series of coastal waves. They frequently catch beachgoers, dog walkers and dogs off guard and wash them out to sea.
Thankful for a safe crabbing season
Thanksgiving crab is a San Francisco tradition. The steamed, spidery-red crustaceans have a spot on the dining room table right next to that big, gobbling bird. Crab is a delicacy, but the fishermen who go out in the heavy-winter seas and catch it are anything but delicate. The Department of Labor lists fishing as the most dangerous jobs in the country, and the Coast Guard is working to reduce risk through a safety initiative called Operation Safe Crab.
40 years of safe navigation in America’s waterways
Written by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan Bradshaw. A dense fog bank formed several hundred yards west of the Golden Gate Bridge. The tank ship Arizona Standard was inbound en route to Richmond, Calif., and the tank ship Oregon Standard, [...]
Green lasers halt Coast Guard air searches
The SAR alarm is sounded and a Coast Guard helicopter is launched. As the aircrew arrives on scene, ready to search for the boater who needs their help, a green light enters the cockpit. It’s a green laser being shined from land and its blinding beam forces the pilots to head back to base, unable to finish their search. This life-threatening incident is not a made-up story but something happening to Coast Guard aircrews along our nation’s coasts as they take flight to save lives.
Have fun, but boat safe!
For the most part, we go out on the water to get somewhere or to just have fun. Either way, a successful and enjoyable trip includes having good equipment and knowing how to use it, knowing where to go and what to stay away from and being ready for emergencies. An annual vessel safety check is an excellent way to prepare for time on the water. It is completely free and voluntary, will help ensure compliance with regulations and might help avoid a tragedy.
Break the grip of the rip!
School is out and summer vacation is in! As families head to beaches and lakes, now is the perfect time to learn about keeping you and your loved ones safe, even while on vacation. One of the biggest dangers on our nation’s beaches and lakefronts are rip currents. Rip currents are narrow channels of fast-moving water that pull swimmers away from the shore. They can occur any time, in good or bad weather, on breezy days and calm days and at high tide or low tide.
On thin ice
While scores of boaters in colder parts of the country have put their boats into storage until spring, many still rely on their vessels for hunting, fishing and transportation. But what happens when a lake or river freezes over and [...]
2011 Atlantic hurricane season begins
The Atlantic hurricane season officially starts today and is a sober reminder to think about disaster preparedness for you and your family. When it comes to hurricane response and preparedness the Coast Guard works closely with local, county, tribal, [...]
