Update: U.S. Coast Guard helicopter training off Seacrest

| Seen at sea | West Seattle news

2:16 PM: If you look closely at that photo shared by Mike Russell via Twitter, you’ll see a low-hovering orange-red helicopter, which attracted plenty of attention off Seacrest a little while ago. Mike and others say it dropped divers into the water; they then were picked up by small craft. We’re still trying to formally confirm but there is no indication of a rescue in the area so we’re fairly certain this was a drill; will add whatever we find out.

2:27 PM NOTE: It appears to have been an H-65 U.S. Coast Guard helicopter.

ADDED 4:49 PM: Two photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand – above, one of the divers right over the water, under the helicopter; below, you can also see the Coast Guard Defender Class boat off to the right.

And just a moment after we added those photos, we got confirmation from the USCG – it was a training exercise.

elisaid November 5, 2012 (2:20 pm)

As I was commuting in this morning I noticed two Coast Guard boats escorting a Ferry into Coleman dock.

WSB November 5, 2012 (2:26 pm)

That’s done often as practice. The smaller boats often are brought to Don Armeni on trailers and launched from there. But helicopter diver drops in a high-visibility place … unusual! (Except during the Maritime Day and Seafair demonstrations …)

Jenny November 5, 2012 (2:33 pm)

We, Mike Russell and I, happened to be at Marination Ma Kai working on a project when the helicopter came in and started hovering. We saw at least four people lowered into the Sound. Only one was pulled back up. It appeared that a boat, presumably a Coast Guard vessel, was waiting nearby for the others because after the chopper flew off, the boat also sped away in the same direction.

WSB November 5, 2012 (2:35 pm)

Co-publisher Patrick was headed over to Don Armeni to see if he could find any shoreside USCG to ask, since they have yet to call me back.

Guy November 5, 2012 (2:33 pm)

The crewman have to certify with helo-ops every 6 months or so. The 65 is usually the choice. The HH-60 really puts up a lot of rotor wash. I was stationed in New York harbor, we always chose a less populated area.

MikeRussellFoto November 5, 2012 (2:44 pm)

Just added a much better shot to my FB page of one of the divers jumping in (not all were lowered).

MikeRussellFoto November 5, 2012 (5:50 pm)

Noticed my link wasn’t working. The other photo I added is here, https://www.facebook.com/mikerussellfoto, in case anyone wants to see another view of it. :-)