BECAUSE THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AND
THE BAJA HA-HA
CARE ABOUT YOUR SAFETY AT SEA,
THE HA-HA IS DELIGHTED TO BRING BACK
DOUGLAS SAMP,
SEARCH AND RESCUE SPECIALIST FROM RCC IN ALAMEDA.
It will be held from 5 pm to 6 pm on Saturday, October 28, at the West Marine Super Store in San Diego.
As the SAR Specialist out of Alameda, which is in charge of the Eastern Pacific, Samp knows his stuff.
He also knows the Ha-Ha. He was the Command Duty Officer in Alameda in 2009 when a Ha-Ha boat was hit by a whale and sank quickly. Thanks to the preparation and skill of Captain Eugenie Russell and crew, and the preparation and skill of the Coast Guard, everyone was rescued safely from their life raft.
"I remember that incident as though it were yesterday," Samp says. The Coast Guard later described it as a "textbook rescue".
Who should you call for help if you have an emergency during the Ha-Ha? The Grand Poobah, the Mexican Navy, or the Coast Guard? Samp has the answer.
What is the best device for calling for help when at sea? An EPIRB, Starlink, InReach, Iridium Go!, SSB, satphone? Samp will discuss the pros and cons of each device.
How do the different international rescue systems work? Samp has the answer.
How long might it take you to be rescued halfway to the Marquesas? Douglas can give you a rough estimate.
Samp can also tell some SAR tales, such as the time when two specialists jumped out of a plane, along with a small boat, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the Pacific (!), to provide medical assistance to a former Ha-Ha participant who had a medical emergency. They saved his life.
The presentation, hosted by the Grand Poobah, will be a sit-on-the-floor / stand-up affair at West Marine. It was well attended last year, and we are expecting it to be well attended this year.
If you plan to attend, please send an email to richard@latitude38.com with number attending.
That's Douglas in the lower right foreground.
While we can't confirm it at this time, we believe Samp will also be available at the Last Cheeseburger in Paradise and Costume Kickoff Party on Sunday, October 30.
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