SCIENCE AND THE SEA 



Rules. Therefore, all precautions to avoid collision must be observed. 

 The beacon transmission may be used by surface ships to determine 

 positions and should be used to avoid collision with the transmitting 

 vessel. 



The assigned geographical position of each ocean station vessel 

 is indicated on the appropriate Pilot Chart. Additional information 

 regarding radio aids is shown in Figure 2. 



As it is rare for modem aircraft to be fitted for transmission on 

 "medium frequency", the ocean station vessel's medium frequency 

 direction finder is now used only for her own navigational purposes 

 and getting bearings on surface vessels or other survival craft in 

 emergency. 



The air search radar in ocean station vessels is primarily used 

 for tracking the radar target used on balloons, when measuring 

 upper winds. This radar is also used when providing navigational 

 fixes to aircraft. Currently, all U. S. and many European ocean 

 station vessels are being equipped with balloon tracking radar in 

 addition to their air search radar. 



When in contact with ocean station vessels, nearly all aircraft 

 request a radar fix in addition to the latest information regarding 

 upper winds and surface weather. The frequency with which these 

 requests are made varies from station to station. However, a good 

 example is station "J", with an average of 78 weather and naviga- 

 tional requests each day from aircraft. A summary of the services 

 provided by station "J" during 1962 follows: 



Weather reports to aircraft 5,223 



Radar fixes 13,874 



Radiobeacons by special request 9,424 



ToUl 28,521 



SEARCH AND RESCUE 

 In addition to supplying meteorological information and acting 



as limited navigational aids, ocean station vessels are required by 

 ICAO agreement to participate in search-and-rescue, and to main- 

 tain a high degree of readiness. These ships guard 500 kcs. 

 continuously for distress, urgency, and safety communications. 

 Also, United States ocean station vessels continuously guard the 

 international distress voice frequency 2182 kcs., the international 

 aeronautical emergency frequency 121.5 mcs. (voice), air-search 

 VHF working frequency 126.7 mcs. (voice), air-surface UHF working 

 frequency 272.7 mcs. (voice), and the U. S. Military common 

 emergency frequency 243 mcs. (voice). The international survival 

 craft frequency 8364 kcs. is guarded only during the distress or alert 

 phase of SAR incidents. 



The frequency of 500 kcs. is the one that should normally be used 

 by merchant ships when calling the ocean station vessels. After 

 contact has been made on 500 kcs., a working frequency will be 

 established. Ocean station vessels, BRAVO and CHARLIE in the 

 Atlantic and VICTOR in the Pacific have medical officers aboard 

 and are prepared to give medical assistance. 



Search and rescue is under the cognizance of the U. S. Coast 

 Guard and is greatly supplemented by the AMVER (Atlantic Mer- 

 chant Vessel Report) system. This maritime mutual assistance 

 program is explained in H. O. Pub. No. 117A, Radio Navigational 

 Aids— Atlantic and Mediterranean Area. Search and rescue of air- 

 craft in the Pacific Ocean is affected by SAR Plan ALFA. This plan, 

 plus additional SAR information, is explained in H. 0. Pub. No. 117B, 

 Radio Navigational Aids — Pacific and Indian Oceans Area. 



A governing rule for search and rescue states: "If an ocean 

 station vessel is able to lend assistance to an aircraft or vessel in 

 distress, or survivors from same, it shall immediately grant priority 

 of service to search and rescue." 



Frequently, the Commanding Officer of an ocean station vessel 

 is called upon by a rescue coordination center to control search and 

 rescue at the scene of the incident. During such events he ensures 

 complete coverage of the area by assigning search areas to all avail- 

 able ships and craft. In addition, he maintains a communication 

 center, keeps a search plot, and prevents a hazardous concentration 

 of searching units. 



The final decision to leave an ocean station for a search and 

 rescue mission rests with the Commanding Officer of the ocean 

 station vessel. This decision is weighed on the probability of rescue 

 against the hazards to air traffic created by the ships absence. The 



ICAO Ocean Station Vessel Manual states that the vessel shall go 

 on a search and rescue mission only when, in the opinion of the 

 Commanding Officer, there is a reasonable chance of succeeding. 



A recent example of the effort an ocean station vessel will make 

 on a search and rescue mission was the successful recovery by the 

 U. S. Coast Guard Cutter Absecon of a German seaman after he had 

 spent 17 hours swimming in the Atlantic. This ordeal, as reported 

 by the U. S. Coast Guard, began on the evening of 12 September 1963 

 when Franz Strycharczyk, third engineer of the German cargo ship 

 Freiberg, was leaning over the guardrail for a breath of air, prior 

 to retiring. Unexpectedly, the Freiberg took a heavy roll and threw 

 him into the sea. 



The spot where Franz fell overboard was in the middle of the 

 Atlantic, approximately halfway between Bermuda and the Azores. 

 A lonelier place could scarcely be imagined. On all sides of Franz 

 stretched an immensity of heaving water. In that vast watery 

 expanse, it didn't s*em possible for anything so insignificant as a 

 human being to survive. Fortunately for Franz the water was a 

 warm 80 degrees, and the air was mild. 



Nevertheless, the odds against his being spotted were astro- 

 nomical. Mathematically, they could be calculated at the figure one 

 followed by nine zeroes. It is just as well that he wasn't a mathe- 

 matician, because it wouldn't have done his morale much good. 



Racing through Franz's mind was the disturbing thought that 

 it would be several hours before his absence would be discovered, as 

 he wasn't due to relieve the watch until midnight- And, even if a 

 search were undertaken by the Freiberg, what chance was there that 

 they could find him? 



Stubbornly, he held on, hoping for a miracle. And sure enough, 

 a few hours later, the Freiberg, having discovered Franz's absence 

 returned to the approximate spot where he had fallen overboard. 

 After a search of several hours, she had broadcast a "man overboard" 

 message to all ships in the area. That was at 0122. Ironically, the 

 Freiberg had come so close to Franz that she nearly passed over him. 

 Once again he was left to the loneliness and darkness of the mid- 

 Atlantic. It was heartbreaking, after being so close to rescue. He 

 fell back on his last resource— prayer. His worst enemies now, in 

 addition to the black water, were fear and despair. His situation 

 wasn't made any easier by an 8-foot sea, a heavy sky, and constant 

 drizzle. 



The big thing now was not to panic. To conserve his strength, 

 Franz swam as little as possible, floating most of the time. 



About 130 miles from the area where Franz was putting up his 

 heroic fight for survival, the Coast Guard cutter Absecon was 

 patrolling on Ocean Station ECHO. It was after midnight and, 

 except for the duty watch, her crew, including the skipper, had turned 

 in. The Absecon was now in the 19th day of her patrol and was 

 due to be relieved in two days to return to her home port of Norfolk, 

 Va. The radioman was at his post, but so far it had been a routine 

 mission. Then, at 0122, the Freiberg's anxious message came through. 

 Excitedly the radioman gave the news to the supervisor of the 

 watch, who followed routine procedure and immediately relayed the 

 message to the Coast Guard's Eastern Area Command. There it 

 was fed into the Coast Guard's Atlantic Merchant Vessel Reporting 

 (AMVER) office in New York City. At this nerve center of rescue 

 operations, the Coast Guard maintains contact with merchant vessels 

 in the Atlantic. By using an electronic computer, it is able to de- 

 termine within seconds which vessels are closest to the emergency 

 and to forward this information to the distressed ship. 



After sending off the message to New York, the supervisor of 

 the watch on the Absecon went forward to awaken the Commanding 

 Officer and give him the news. The Freiberg's call had put into 

 motion the Coast Guard's entire search and rescue complex along the 

 Atlantic coast. Once again an ocean station vessel was demon- 

 strating its readiness to mobilize all its resources to save a single 

 human life. 



Even before he had finished dressing, the Commanding Officer 

 phoned the bridge and ordered full speed ahead to the area of search. 

 He estimated there was an outside chance that Franz was still alive. 



By 0140 the Absecon was under way. Enroute, the Commanding 

 Officer held a council with his executive officer and navigator. 

 They decided upon a "Papa Sierra" or Parallel Track Single Unit 

 search pattern as offering the best chance of success. 



52 



