Evening star., 1933-02-08
FLYING BOATS CUT
FATALITIES AT SEA
Rescue of Man in Sinking
Skiff Off Florida Added
to Coast Guard List.
BY the Associated Press.

sBy. the Associated Press.
A long stride in saving life at sea has
been taken by the Coast Guard through
use of flying boats specially built for
rescue work.
Wind or wave seem no detriments to
these amphibians, which can extend
search of the sea for 400 miles, travel
with a speed of 100 knots and ride
through lashing waters to reach ship
in distress.
Concrete proof of their utility as
Good Samaritans of the sea" lies in
Coast Guard files. To those records
has Just gone the account of the dra-
m tic rescue of young Paul Long, storm
cast and laundering in an open skiff off
the Florida Coast by the Coast Guard
seaplane ArcturuS. Lieut.. Comdr. G. c.
Won PaulSen was the pilot.
Brought to light by the departmental
commentator of Won PaulSen, the
laconic report of the seaplane's captain
stated his decision to slide the big ship
down through squally skies to make a
high-speed '1anding'' in heavy seas
rather than "allow man to die rather
uncomfcrtably."
Arturus Takes Off.
Word was received one morning at
the Chester Shoals Coast Guard Sta
tion, Fla, that the youth had been
swept to sea during a storm. Less than
an hour later the Arturus took off with
its five-man crew.
Late in the afternoon man Gin poor
condition" in a slowly sinking boat was
sighted 30 miles off shore. The plane
flew in wide circles. No other craft
was visible. 1t was apparent that un-
less he was rescued before dark he could
not be picked up until two or three
hours after dawn. No surface rescue
craft were within reach.
THE mans very apparent poor con-
dition, together with the weather and
the state of his boat made it apparent
that he could not survive the night"
Knowing the danger of "crackup"
in the churning sea which would make
it impossible to take off again, the
skipper decided to alight on the
waters. AS Won Paulsen put it, 'the
Arturus type of plane, having been
built especially for rescue work at sea,
and the personnel manning it being
employed for that purpose, it was de-
cided to risk damage to the plane"
Normal Landing Made.
Won Paulsen dumped spare gas and
expertly made "a normal landing" de-
spite air squalls and high waves. The
left wing float struts collapsed. Radio
man Thomas S. Mckenzie promtly
went overheard to clear the wreckage.
Long was picked up. Won Paulsen
lifted the plane from the water, only
to find that the plywood wing had been
damaged, making it necessary to stay
down. They were unable to make head
way on the water because of the miss
ing float.
stopped engines and put out sea
anchor" Won Paulsen's log reads. "Sea
anchor lines carried away and lost
anchor. Improvised anchor-and pre-
pared ship for eventualities. AS no
definite word had been received of
time of arrival of rescue craft and gen.
eral situation had plenty of dangerous
possibilities, sent out an o S. Con-
tinued drift. AS water shoaled to eight
fathoms sea increased to heights of IL
to Is feet, confused and breaking at
times. Plane rode remarkably well,
but wings, of course, were disintegrat-
ing progressively
About l o'clock the following morn
ing the ArtIrus went through three
lines of surf very comfortably" and
was beached inside of Bethel Shoal.
Long was sent through the semi-tropi-
cal jungle to proper care, while the
skipper "reported-ir" and arranged
salvage.
s Lieut.. Comdr. Won Paulsen is COM
mander of the Miami Coast Guard Air
f6IdIl0n.S