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End of pageBy Journalist Seaman Kary Favell, USS George Washington Public Affairs
January 25, 2004, USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, At Sea (NNS) - USS George Washington (CVN 73) responded Jan. 25 to a distress call from the Italian merchant vessel Isolaverde. The captain of Isolaverde radioed George Washington and requested medical assistance for an injured sailor.
GW dispatched an HH-60H Seahawk from Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron (HS) 5 to transport the wounded sailor to the aircraft carrier, where he could receive proper medical attention.
Isolaverde was eight miles away from GW when its captain made the distress call. Because there was no landing space on Isolaverde, the rescue team hovered for about 30 minutes before taking the injured sailor, 29-year-old Giovanni Cutugno, back to GW for treatment.
The rescue team lowered Search and Rescue Crewman Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 3rd Class (NAC) Scott Steinbacher from the Seahawk to the injured
sailor on the deck of Isolaverde, where he prepared Cutugno for transport. Steinbacher used hand signals to communicate with the non English-speaking crew, and with their help, secured Cutugno to a stretcher. Cutugno was raised into the helicopter, followed by Steinbacher, and the transport team returned to GW.
"As mariners, it is our duty and responsibility to help those in need. It is a dangerous environment out here," said GW's Commanding Officer, Capt. Martin J. Erdossy. "It was our privilege to give assistance to the injured sailor so that he did not have to suffer without proper medical attention."
The accident occurred when Cutugno fell down a slippery ladderwell, Isolaverde's captain said. Though the sailor suffered several deep lacerations around his face and an injury to his right leg, he is in stable condition and will soon be ready to return to his ship, said Lt. Cmdr. Rachel Burke, the surgeon who administered Cutugno's sutures. "He's comfortable and doing just fine. We're going to finish getting him taken care of, and he'll be ready to go soon."
Steinbacher was happy with the success of the mission. "With the conditions being what they were, there were a lot of things that could have gone wrong," he said, referring to the 30-knot winds and 16-foot swells working against the ship and the aircraft at the time. "This was by no means a typical rescue mission, but everyone performed flawlessly, and it went very smoothly."
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