BALTIMORE — The Coast Guard presented various medals to seven crewmembers from Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay Monday at Station Curtis Bay for saving the lives of two boaters May 3, 2015.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Bursell, Petty Officer 3rd Class Samuel Cleveland, Petty Officer 3rd Class Dillon Helms, Senior Chief Petty Officer Brian Kastner, Petty Officer 3rd Class Alexander Klebart, Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Little and Petty Officer 3rd Class Gustavo Luna were the crewmembers who responded to the scene of a boating accident at Curtis Creek near Station Curtis Bay, May 3.
Helms, Klebart and Little received the Coast Guard Achievement Medal.
Bursell, Cleveland, Kastner and Luna received the Coast Guard Commandant’s Letter of Commendation.
Helms was conducting a security round when he heard people yelling for help nearby in Curtis Creek, behind the Coast Guard station. Helms alerted the communications watchstander, who energized the search and rescue alarm to alert the rest of the crew.
Once underway on a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium, Cleveland energized the forward-looking infared camera (FLIR) and located the first boater in the water. Little, the coxswain, made his approach to the first boater, who was pulled aboard by Klebart and Helms.
While the first boater received first aid, Bursell located the second boater clinging to the railroad bridge south of the Baltimore Beltway.
Klebart volunteered as a rescue swimmer, inflated his lifejacket, jumped into the water and retrieved the second boater. Both Klebart and the boater were safely pulled aboard using a line attached to Klebart.
Both boaters were transported awaiting EMS at the station pier.
The Coast Guard Achievement Medal is awarded to people who distinguish themselves for professional and/or leadership achievement in a combat or non-combat situation based on sustained performance or specific achievement of a superlative nature.
The Coast Guard Commandant’s Letter of Commendation Ribbon is a prestigous award given to members of the Coast Guard for meritorious service.