topside Volume 119 , Issue 1
NATIONAL NOTICES
1 . Per REF ( A ), this ALCOAST announces the recipients of the 2021 AFRAS Gold and Silver
05 NOV 2021 FM : CHDIRAUX TO : ALAUX ALAUX 038 / 21
Subj : 2021 ASSOCIATION FOR RESCUE AT SEA ( AFRAS ) AWARD RECIPIENTS
1 . Please read the following ALCOAST announcement of 2021 AFRAS award recipients . Congratulations to Ninth District Auxiliarists Gary Markle and Shelley Markle on their award of the Silver Medal ! Their outstanding efforts included calm , controlled , and effective management of an emergent situation with a drowning person , their administration of life-saving CPR , and the victim ' s timely transfer to emergency services personnel . Their heroic actions brought great credit to the United States Coast Guard and United States Coast Guard Auxiliary ! Respectfully , Captain Troy P . Glendye Chief Director of Auxiliary ( CG-BSX )
R 011420Z NOV 21 FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC TO ALCOAST BT UNCLAS ALCOAST 402 / 21 SSIC 16100
SUBJ : 2021 ASSOCIATION FOR RESCUE AT SEA ( AFRAS ) AWARD RECIPIENTS A . COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 131719Z MAY 21 / ALCOAST 183 / 21
Medals . The Gold and Silver Medals are awarded to a Coast Guard enlisted member and Auxiliarist , respectively , for an act of extraordinary bravery during a rescue at sea . 2 . GOLD MEDAL . a . The 2021 Gold Medal is awarded to Boatswain ' s Mate First Class ( BM1 ) Wallace C . Qual , U . S . Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay . BM1 Qual led a beach team in the rescue of the master of the 44-foot Fishing Vessel ( FV ) LEGEND . b . At approximately 0130 local time on September 8th , 2020 , FV LEGEND reported running aground in the vicinity of the Yaquina Bay channel entrance near Newport , Oregon . A rare wind event coupled with local fires resulted in extremely challenging on scene conditions including 60-70 knot wind gusts , 6-8 feet of surf , and visibility less than 200 yards due to blowing sand , smoke , and ash . After determining the exact position of FV LEGEND , a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat ( MLB ), the 52-foot MLB VICTORY , and a Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter from Air Facility Newport were launched . While extreme winds and poor visibility forced the helicopter to return to Air Facility Newport immediately after take-off , shallow water rendered the two MLBs unable to directly assist in the rescue . c . It was determined that a beach rescue team might reach the vessel and that BM1 Qual would lead the rescue . The beach party located FV LEGEND by spotting a faintly flickering navigation light in the low-visibility conditions . Dressed in full SAR ensemble and carrying an additional 20 pounds of rescue equipment , BM1 Qual led the beach