Mississippi Wing Aircrew Guides Coast Guard to Two in Gulf

Watery rescue

A Mississippi Wing aircrew guided rescuers from the U.S. Coast Guard to a man and girl in the water Aug. 27 after their boat capsized 3 miles southwest of Cat Island

Lt. Col. Daniel Watson, pilot, and Capt. Mitchell Tyndall, observer, were flying a routine sundown patrol near Horn Island when Coast Guard Sector Mobile alerted them to the mishap.

The Singing River Composite Squadron members’ first attempt to locate the boat and the pair in the water proved unsuccessful. They then flew a search pattern based on estimated wind and ocean currents, allowing them to spot the 31-year-old man and 10-year-old girl.

The Mississippi Wing has flown sundown patrol missions along the state’s Gulf Coast since World War II, providing homeland security and watching for stranded or distressed boats and aircraft. Sundown patrol missions are flown every weekend and holiday from April-October,  weather permitting, with funding from Jackson County.
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Maj. Ronald T. Ogan
Public Affairs Officer
Mississippi Wing