Byfield
Jul 27th, 05, 10:10 AM
Local ham radio operators assist in ocean rescue
Doug Erickson Wisconsin State Journal
July 26, 2005
Ed Toal jokes that ham radio operators are often misunderstood.
When people think of them at all, it's usually in the context of "radio nuts" or "prehistoric geeks," he said.
But ham radio operators are much more, Toal said, a point underscored Sunday when he and fellow ham radio enthusiast Ralph Henes of Madison helped rescue two sailboat operators off the coast of southern Mexico.
The boaters had lost engine power and steerage and were being tossed around in 4-to- 5-foot waves, said Toal, 62, a retired telecommunications manager from Blanchardville. After the boaters' emergency marine radio failed them, they resorted to a ham radio.
Their "mayday" pleas were heard about 2,000 miles away by Toal and Henes, who, with the help of another ham radio operator in Los Angeles, Dick Mannheimer, notified authorities and talked the boaters through the ordeal.
In a later e-mail to Henes, one of the sailors, Ken Scheibe, reported that he and his friend were rescued on their 35-foot sailboat by the Mexican Navy. They had no broken bones, although his friend hurt his leg and was treated at a Navy hospital, Scheibe wrote. He thanked Henes and the other ham radio operators profusely, signing off with, "Con mucho respecto."
Ham radio operators are amateur radio operators who are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and must pass an exam. The license allows them to talk around the world and to provide emergency communication services.
Henes, 62, a retired supervisor for a cellular tower construction firm, said that while ham radio operators often are a valuable resource during local emergencies, playing a role in an international rescue effort is unusual.
"I've been on the air for 47 years and this is the first time something of this magnitude has happened to me," he said.
Toal said a handful of ham radio operators from across the country were talking during a daily chat Sunday around 9 a.m. when they heard, "Mayday."
Toal later learned that the boaters had been putting out a distress call unsuccessfully for about four hours on various frequencies. Their boat was 50 miles off the coast of Salina Cruz, Mexico. Toal figures the boaters heard the ham radio operators talking and focused in on trying to reach them.
The ham radio operators sprung into service, ascertaining the location of the boat and contacting authorities, with Mannheimer calling the U.S. Coast Guard.
Petty Officer Alan Haraf of Coast Guard District 11 in Alameda, Calif., confirmed Tuesday that his district was informed by a ham radio operator of boaters needing rescue. The Coast Guard alerted the Mexican Navy, Haraf said.
Henes said he also called the Mexican Navy, which sent a boat and a helicopter. Another ham radio operator in Mexico City jumped in and helped with translation between the rescue vessel and the boaters, both U.S. citizens. The boat was licensed out of Long Beach, Calif., Henes said.
"This shows the true value of the ham radio hobby- profession," Henes said. "When the chips are down, we're there."
Toal said helping in a rescue is about as good as it gets for ham radio operators.
"Without amateur radio operators, they could have been adrift out there for quite a while," he said. "A lot of times people think we're just a bunch of radio nuts, but we're actually there for this kind of purpose."
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local//index.php?ntid=48350&nt_adsect=edit
:thumbsup:
Kurt, N9KAB
Doug Erickson Wisconsin State Journal
July 26, 2005
Ed Toal jokes that ham radio operators are often misunderstood.
When people think of them at all, it's usually in the context of "radio nuts" or "prehistoric geeks," he said.
But ham radio operators are much more, Toal said, a point underscored Sunday when he and fellow ham radio enthusiast Ralph Henes of Madison helped rescue two sailboat operators off the coast of southern Mexico.
The boaters had lost engine power and steerage and were being tossed around in 4-to- 5-foot waves, said Toal, 62, a retired telecommunications manager from Blanchardville. After the boaters' emergency marine radio failed them, they resorted to a ham radio.
Their "mayday" pleas were heard about 2,000 miles away by Toal and Henes, who, with the help of another ham radio operator in Los Angeles, Dick Mannheimer, notified authorities and talked the boaters through the ordeal.
In a later e-mail to Henes, one of the sailors, Ken Scheibe, reported that he and his friend were rescued on their 35-foot sailboat by the Mexican Navy. They had no broken bones, although his friend hurt his leg and was treated at a Navy hospital, Scheibe wrote. He thanked Henes and the other ham radio operators profusely, signing off with, "Con mucho respecto."
Ham radio operators are amateur radio operators who are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and must pass an exam. The license allows them to talk around the world and to provide emergency communication services.
Henes, 62, a retired supervisor for a cellular tower construction firm, said that while ham radio operators often are a valuable resource during local emergencies, playing a role in an international rescue effort is unusual.
"I've been on the air for 47 years and this is the first time something of this magnitude has happened to me," he said.
Toal said a handful of ham radio operators from across the country were talking during a daily chat Sunday around 9 a.m. when they heard, "Mayday."
Toal later learned that the boaters had been putting out a distress call unsuccessfully for about four hours on various frequencies. Their boat was 50 miles off the coast of Salina Cruz, Mexico. Toal figures the boaters heard the ham radio operators talking and focused in on trying to reach them.
The ham radio operators sprung into service, ascertaining the location of the boat and contacting authorities, with Mannheimer calling the U.S. Coast Guard.
Petty Officer Alan Haraf of Coast Guard District 11 in Alameda, Calif., confirmed Tuesday that his district was informed by a ham radio operator of boaters needing rescue. The Coast Guard alerted the Mexican Navy, Haraf said.
Henes said he also called the Mexican Navy, which sent a boat and a helicopter. Another ham radio operator in Mexico City jumped in and helped with translation between the rescue vessel and the boaters, both U.S. citizens. The boat was licensed out of Long Beach, Calif., Henes said.
"This shows the true value of the ham radio hobby- profession," Henes said. "When the chips are down, we're there."
Toal said helping in a rescue is about as good as it gets for ham radio operators.
"Without amateur radio operators, they could have been adrift out there for quite a while," he said. "A lot of times people think we're just a bunch of radio nuts, but we're actually there for this kind of purpose."
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local//index.php?ntid=48350&nt_adsect=edit
:thumbsup:
Kurt, N9KAB