Local mariners recognized for assistance in Lake Michigan rescue

Courtesy Photo | ARCADIA, Mich. — Two local mariners were formally recognized today at U.S. Coast Guard Station Manistee for actions they took on August 27, 2023. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo)  

ARCADIA, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES

09.17.2024

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Omar Faba 

U.S. Coast Guard District 9

Sept. 17, 2024
Lt. j.g. Santiago Tamburini
[phone]

ARCADIA, Mich. — Two local mariners were formally recognized today at U.S. Coast Guard Station Manistee for actions they took on August 27, 2023.

On August 27, 2023, boat captains Gerald “Jerry” Weersma and Jesse Holman assisted in the rescue of four people from Lake Michigan after coming upon a capsized vessel approximately one nautical mile offshore from Arcadia, Michigan.

The boat captains reported the distress via 911 call and immediately began pulling the individuals aboard their vessel.

These efforts, in combination with search and rescue resources from U.S. Coast Guard Station Manistee and Air Station Traverse City; Manistee County and Benzie County Sheriff’s Offices and Emergency Medical Services; Michigan State Police; Michigan Department of Natural Resources; and Northern Michigan Mutual Aid, played a vital role in providing life-saving assistance to the mariners in distress.

During the ceremony, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Seth Parker, Commander, Sector Lake Michigan, presented Weersma and Holman with the Captain David P. Dobbins Award for excellence in search and rescue.

This award is presented in recognition of outstanding actions accomplished while prosecuting search and rescue missions on the Great Lakes. Dobbins was the first appointed superintendent of the U.S. Lifesaving Service of the Great Lakes in 1876 and distinguished himself by performing and organizing numerous rescues during his career.

In memory of his heritage, initiative, and dedication, the award is presented to individuals who perform distinguished search and rescue acts on the Great Lakes, linking the outstanding performances of the present to the long-standing tradition of heroic rescues across the Great Lakes.

For any inquiries regarding this release, please contact the Sector Lake Michigan Public Affairs Officer Lt. j.g. Santiago Tamburini at [phone].

-USCG-

• Date Taken: 09.17.2024
• Date Posted: 09.17.2024 16:16
• Story ID: 481107
• Location: ARCADIA, MICHIGAN, US