Crew kudos: Kitsap Transit ferry crews rescue three people from Puget Sound and assist with medical event during busy July
From left to right: Captain Gus Gengenbach, Senior Deckhand Chaz Peters, Deckhand Jessica Gauthier, and MSA Evan Cavalier assisted in a medical event on board the Bremerton Fast Ferry on July 13,
Kitsap Transit’s ferry crews need to be prepared for all sorts of events while working on Puget Sound. In July, our deckhands and captains stepped in to provide aid to people in distress four different times (including three recoveries in just over a week)!
We want to highlight the incredible work of these crews, who, in each instance, reacted quickly and calmly to prevent dangerous situations from becoming deadly:
Fishermen recovery
On July 9, our afternoon Kingston Fast Ferry crew (Captain Tom Healy and Deckhands Christina Murphy and Alexandria Scicluna) encountered two fishermen in the water near a recreational fishing boat. The boat was still in gear and moving away from the fishermen. While Kitsap Transit crew members threw life rings to the people in the water, Captain Healy sent another responding vessel to recover the fishermen’s boat.
After the vessel was recovered, the two men were returned to their boat.
Paddleboarder rescue
The Southworth Fast Ferry crew made a recovery of their own the next day, July 10, when they helped recover a paddleboarder in distress east of Blake Island.
The crew of the M/V Commander (Captain Jeffrey Bearden, Senior Deckhand Doug Hill, and Deckhand Taylor LeVeque) noticed the paddleboarder while on their way from Seattle to Southworth; the individual had fallen off their board while trying to return to West Seattle from Blake Island.
Working quickly, the crew pulled up alongside the paddleboarder and used a life ring to bring them safely onboard. While wet and cold, the paddleboarder was otherwise unharmed, and the crew returned them to Southworth.
Medical event
On Monday, July 13, Captain Gus Gengenbach, Senior Deckhand Chaz Peters, Deckhand Jessica Gauthier, and MSA Evan Cavalier assisted an elderly passenger and his son who boarded the 8:05 AM Bremerton Fast Ferry sailing to Seattle. Shortly after boarding, the passenger reported feeling very dizzy and winded. Cavalier contacted 911 while the crew continued to assess and assist the passenger.
The crew was able to help the passenger off the vessel, while Cavalier met EMS shoreside. He requested a gurney, as the passenger was unable to move without assistance. EMS transported the passenger to the local hospital.
The man had experienced a severe medical emergency, and due to the crew’s quick and professional response, was able to make it to a local hospital in stable condition.
Recovery of a person in Sinclair Inlet
The crew of the M/V Waterman (Captain Eric Schiffner, Deckhand Sharon Peterson, and Deckhand Angela Corwin) were operating regular morning ferry service on the Port Orchard route when they encountered a person in the water near a sailboat.
The person had been trying to raise their sails when they fell into the water and was trying to get back on board. Kitsap Transit crew helped bring them aboard the M/V Waterman and returned them safely to Port Orchard.