Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Matthew White | 180928-N-WR252-006 CHUUK, Federated States of Micronesia (Sept. 28, 2018) Builder 2nd...... read more read more
SANTA RITA, Guam – After responding and rendering aid to the passengers and crew of Air
Niugini flight PX56 following its crash landing in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia Sept.
28, Sailors from Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 2 continued their humanitarian efforts
by donating blood to the injured.
As the immediate rescue operation wound down and local authorities took over control of the
incident, the Sailors regrouped and explored other ways to support the survivors and
authorities at the scene.
The team was later informed that three of the critically injured passengers at the Chuuk
State Hospital intensive care unit needed blood a blood transfusion. After quickly canvassing
the Sailors to see who had the right type of blood, three volunteers from UCT-2 rushed to the
hospital where they each donated a pint of blood to the patients.
On the morning of Sept. 28, while working on a construction project near the airport, UCT-2
Sailors displayed their training, readiness and teamwork in dramatic fashion by instantly
responding to help rescue the airline’s passengers and crew, and continuing to care for the
injured following their safe evacuation from the sinking aircraft.
While Construction Mechanic 1st Class John Monahan led a group of six Sailors to the partially
submerged Boeing 737 before the emergency doors had even opened, Chief Hospital
Corpsman Erich Weber was on shore, setting up a triage point to treat or move patients.
“As soon as we reported to the boat ramp, a boat full of patients came ashore. We triaged
the worst of the group to our vehicle, one of which was conscious but in the fetal position due
to severity of injuries [and] pain,” said Weber, independent duty corpsman assigned to
UCT-2.
Back on the slowly sinking aircraft, UCT-2 Sailors entered the plane to conduct a sweep of the
passenger compartment and crew areas. Builder 3rd Class Brock Farmer needed to swim
through the aircraft’s interior to complete the inspection before the Sailors exited the plane,
as fears arose the airliner would soon sink.
The teamwork didn’t end with the initial response from UCT-2.
The United States Coast Guard flew a C-130 aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers
Point, Hawaii, to Chuuk to medevac the patients in critical condition from flight PX56 to U.S.
Naval Hospital Guam, where they received medical care.
The Coast Guard also sent a disaster medical assistance team, consisting of six doctors, to
Chuuk, to assist local medical officials treat injured passengers who remained on the island.
FSM authorities have requested assistance from the U.S. Navy to recover the aircraft’s flight
data recorders, which may reveal the reason behind the plane’s crash landing.
UCT-2 is in Chuuk providing a range of operations improving the wharf area, including
inspecting of existing navigational aids; assessment of the wharf; and placing environmental
offsets at popular scuba diving sites which will protect the coral reef from damage due to
boat anchors.
UCT-2 provides construction, inspection, repair, and maintenance of waterfront and ocean
facilities in support of Naval and Marine Corps operations. Underwater Construction
Technicians have the unique ability of providing shallow and deep water repairs, as well as
being a highly skilled construction force.
| Date Taken: | 10.01.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 10.01.2018 04:46 |
| Story ID: | 294990 |
| Location: | GU |
| Web Views: | 200 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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