12/30/2010: "Navy To The Rescue"

It would seen expected that when one lives on an island and help is needed, it would be the Navy or the Coast Guard that would answer the call. A 19-year old woman on Lopez needed help on early Tuesday morning when she began to go into labor, and it was known it would be a breech birth. It was an emergency.

According to a public affairs officer at Whidbey Island Naval Airs Station, the woman was picked up be a Navy Search and Rescue team in a Knighthawk Rescue helicopter at 3 am, and five minutes later was at Island County Hospital in Anacortes.

The crew was back at the air station by 3:57 a.m., safely completing another emergency medical evacuation. "This is the third rescue SAR has done on Lopez Island in 2010," said Cmdr. Dan Worra, NAS Whidbey Island's Operations Officer. "We were glad to be able to put our professional skills, and all-weather capability, to work to help our neighbors."

Both the mother and the baby are reported to being just fine, thanks to the quick work by all involved.

The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center after receiving the call from San Juan County Dispatch, called NAS Whidbey Island's Operations Duty Office and the Search and Rescue MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter crew launched with helicopter aircraft commander Lt. Scott Zenner, pilot Lt. Cmdr. Fred Morrison, crew chief Naval Aircrewman Helicopter 2nd Class Salomon Padilla, Naval Aircrewman Helicopter 1st Class Zachary Brunette and Hospital Corpsman Cory Wendland.