The United States Navy

USS John C. Stennis rescues three
from icy Atlantic


Lt. Cmdr. Colleen McLarnen, Ship's Nurse, escorts Ms. Lori Woodroffe-McLaughlin aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). Ms. Woodroffe-McLaughlin, her husband Joe Woodroffe-McLaughlin, and Gary Hovey, all from New Brunswick, Canada, were adrift in the North Atlantic following a boating accident. Stennis and Carrier Air Wing Seven coordinated the search and rescue after being contacted by the U.S. Coast Guard. The Canadians are being treated for hypothermia aboard Stennis. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Michael L. Larson.		 BOSTON, Jun. 5 — Three Canadian citizens were plucked from their life raft by U.S. Navy helicopter from the carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) around midday Thursday at a point appoximately 180 miles southeast of Nantucket Island, Mass.

The Canadians, identified as Joe Woodroffe-McLaughlin, wife Lori, and Gary Hovey, from Kings Country, New Brunswick, had been aboard their 33-foot motor sailer, the Gull, when it lost its mast in a storm shortly after midnight. The trio had to abandon their boat around 6 a.m.

Stennis was about 80 miles away when communicators at the Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va., notified the ship that a distress signal had been received. As the giant carrier turned towards the raft's location and readied its search and rescue (SAR) helicopter, a Coast Guard Falcon jet found the covered raft bobbing in 30-foot high seas.

With the wind whipping at 35 knots (40 mph), Aviation Systems Warfare Operator 3rd Class Kevin Baker, from Enid, Okla., dropped from a Seahawk helicopter of Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Five in to the raft and helped the Canadians into the helo's hoist.

Cdr. Glenn Merchant, Senior Medical Officer, escorts Gary Hovey to sick bay aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) where he was treated for hypothermia following a boating accident in the Atlantic about 180 miles east of Cape Cod. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class James M. Williams.

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 The trio were taken aboard Stennis and were treated for shock and hypothermia in the ship's sick bay. This is the second rescue by Stennis in less than a month. The Norfolk-based carrier rescued two sailboaters and recovered the body of a third on May 10 after their boat was damaged in a storm about 450 miles east of Virginia Beach.

USS John C. Stennis was commissioned on Dec, 9, 1996, in Norfolk, and is the seventh Nimitz-class carrier to join the fleet. It was named in honor of the late Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi.

The carrier left Norfolk Wednesday for operations off the coast of New England and Canada and is scheduled to return to her homeport June 17. She will make a port visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on Sunday.

-USN-

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