Friday, April 19, 2024
As part of a helicopter rescue crew, Greg Couture has had quite a few memorable experiences, but perhaps none more so than a harrowing mission 300 miles out at sea with low fuel that could have resulted in having to be rescued himself.
Couture lived in places as varied as New York and Alaska before moving to Gatesville with his wife Kathy Harte, and he told the Gatesville Lions Club about his traumatic mission that took place on Dec. 27, 1979.
At the time, Couture was stationed in Long Island, New York, and said the week between Christmas and New Year's Day was notorious for "something big in the rescue community always happening" during that time frame.
On that frigid day, Couture was part of a crew that went to the rescue of the John F. Leavitt, a 19th Century style schooner that encountered disaster on its trip from Maine that was intended to take a cargo of lumber to the Caribbean.
"The ship was built with the idea that you could still make a profit the old-fashioned way sailing up and down the coast in a schooner," Couture said. In an era when large wooden ships were long relegated to history, the group that built the John F. Leavitt went with an old school approach, creating a wooden vessel that would sail via the power of wind like the ships that were commonly in use more than 100 years earlier.
However, the ship was unable to withstand the raging power of the Atlantic Ocean that day, and an emergency call went to the air rescue crew that included Couture.
"We were getting ready for a training day, and someone shouted we had a mission," Couture recalled. The mission called for two rescue helicopters and a fuel tanker aircraft.
"We always had one (helicopter) ready to go, but we had to get another one ready, going through the checklist," Couture said. "We headed off from Long Island and the only information we had is there were nine people on a ship (in distress) 300 miles out to sea. That's why they called us. The Coast Guard couldn't get close to that."
Couture recalled a windy day with rolling seas, including waves of 40 to 50 feet.
"The HC 130 went out first and located the ship," he said. "They were reported to have a cargo of lumber that they were taking down to the Caribbean, and they left a week before Christmas on their maiden voyage."
When the rescue crews arrived at the scene, they found a ship that was "mostly awash, and the main mast was dipping in and out of the water," Couture said. "The sails had been ripped away and the survivors were all in the fantail section."
Compounding the problem with the ship was that a large beam intended to be used for assisting with loading and unloading cargo was "basically breaking the ship into pieces,"
The helicopters dropped a pair of rescue men out who employed a pair of 20-man life rafts, putting four survivors in one and five in the other.
One of the men pulled onto Couture's helicopter carried film from the voyage that can be watched on YouTube today. A movie, "Coaster," was later made about the ill-fated ship.
While the survivors were secured aboard the rescue helicopters, there was still a 300-mile flight back to shore — and that's before Couture's copter began to experience problems.
He said the rescue helicopters typically do not fly with a full allotment of fuel, because that makes it easier for them to hover. That shouldn't have been a problem with a tanker accompanying them, but malfunctions began.
"We were getting ready to refuel, had pulled up behind the tanker and were getting ready to plug in," Couture said. "It was snowing, and it was dark, so visibility was pretty minimal, and then all the lights went out. We lost all electricity except for a 24-volt battery. That meant we couldn't air refuel because it requires electrical power."
Couture's helicopter began the long flight back with the other helicopter and tanker escorting it. The closest land was the beach at Long Island where the rescue crew was based — still 300 miles away.
"We powered off everything that we didn't need, and we left one radio on," he said. "It was really getting cold. We didn't think we had enough fuel to get back. I had been in a low fuel situation before, but never anything like this."
In anticipation of the worst scenario — a crash landing at sea, Couture said the helicopter's 20-man raft was made ready.
"We were just hoping to make it back to the beach, but fortunately we were able to make it back to the base," he said.
After dropping off everyone, the helicopter's auxiliary power unit shut down, followed shortly by each of the two engines.
It was a close call, but Couture, the crew and the ship's survivors aboard were able to breathe a sigh of relief, limping back to base on what must have seemed like mere fumes.
A check of the helicopter's equipment revealed the main generator had stopped, and a secondary generator that was supposed to provide backup did not have enough power to do the job.
"It's a day I'm going to remember for the rest of my life, believe me, '' Couture said. "I just thank God He took over."
Couture said he almost converted to Judaism, referencing a story in which oil which was supposed to light a lamp in the Jerusalem Temple for only one day miraculously lasted for eight days — which is still celebrated during Hanukkah.
"I figured that was what happened (for the helicopter's fuel to last as long as it did)," he said. "It was a long, cold flight."
