Followup: Helicopter off Alki Point last night “not a search”

We’ve received more than a few inquiries about this and finally got to check with U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs: Whatever that helicopter was doing off Alki Point last night, it wasn’t a search/rescue. Possibly training, is the best they could tell us.

7 Replies to "Followup: Helicopter off Alki Point last night "not a search""

  • rlv May 14, 2008 (2:09 pm)

    Thank you! I could hear it as I finished dinner, and it was gone by the time I could get outside, so I thought it was just my imagination, playing yet another trick.

  • D Nye May 14, 2008 (4:12 pm)

    I watched the “training” through binoculars for about 10 minutes or so. The helicopter was hovering very close to the surface of the Sound just to the south of Alki Point and shining a large spotlight into the water. They began close in to shore then expanded the maneuver to perhaps 1/4 mile offshore. The craft then flew over toward a Bremerton bound ferry, hovered there for a bit, then flew beyond to a point above Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island where it continued to hover for some time. It does seem an odd time and place to do such training and one can only wonder how many gallons of fuel were used. Sure looked like a search to me.

  • Aidan Hadley May 14, 2008 (7:12 pm)

    D Nye: Aircraft fuel is measured in pounds. And training happens to keep crews trained and ready for when something does actually happen.

  • AlkiMac May 14, 2008 (8:59 pm)

    So why is the Coast Guard “possibly training” after 9pm 100 yards or less from houses on the beach hovering for 5 to 10 minutes? The noise was annoying to say the least.

    If night time training is needed why not go where it’s less populated?

  • scian May 14, 2008 (9:22 pm)

    The noise was COOL!!! and as someone who enjoys the Sound on and in the water I want the Coasties practicing water rescue in the dark and possibly rough conditions. I watched it. They did. yeaah!!

    As to fuel use, the sooner we use up the damn oil the sooner we get to a true alternative solution. Coasties rule if you do anything on the water. If you are *ever* in need you want them trained.

    Nye, you should count your blessings you have the vantage point you do to watch the whole thing.

  • Chris S May 14, 2008 (9:23 pm)

    I was with my gf and my pug on the beach and we observed, along with the same man with binoculars?, a rescue chopper hovering barley abouve the water. It started looking in one spot then moved a couple hundred yards until it hovered for about 45 minutes and a police boat searching around its previous spot… There was no visible watercraft but the process seemed rather long-lived to be a training exercise, as well as with the location to where it was being held… However, the water was glossy flat with no wake, and a rather beautiful night if they were indeed conducting a training exercise…

  • Barbara May 15, 2008 (4:00 pm)

    training can be at any time, for nighttime training I’m sure they need to do it after dark, which may end up being after 9 p.m., I’m sorry that the poor waterfront dwellers had to be bothered for 5 to 10 minutes. I agree with scian, if you are ever in need of a Coastie then you will be glad that they bothered you for those few minutes doing training.

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