Warden

Department of Fish and Wildlife

2/10/1996

Special Service Award (Silver)

On February 10, 1996, at approximately 12:30 p.m., Patrol Lieutenant Doug Huckins, Wardens Gary Combes and John Ewald, and a U. S. Coast Guard Petty Officer were patrolling the waters off the Santa Cruz coastline in their patrol boat “Bluefin”, when they overheard a radio call describing a capsized boat approximately two and a half miles from their location. Multiple victims were reported to be in the water. Within 15 minutes the crew arrived to find an overturned boat in the surf line. Several people were in the frigid water, including two surfers who paddled out to assist the victims. The crew could see the surfers taking turns holding up four of the five victims. Despite being tossed around by waves as high as 12 feet, Lieutenant Huckins backed the Bluefin just off the surf line within a quarter mile of the beach. Wardens Combes and Ewald launched a rigid hull inflatable skiff and maneuvered into the surf-zone, riding the backs of the dangerous swells. Within minutes they rescued three of the exhausted victims from the 50-degree water and rushed them back to the Bluefin where they were given warm clothing as all were in advanced stages of hypothermia. The victims were airlifted from the patrol boat to a nearby hospital. Meanwhile, the two surfers managed to get another victim to shore, but sadly, the fifth victim drowned.