Why This Zig-Zag Coast Guard Search Pattern is Actually Genius - Smarter Every Day 268
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Warm Regards,
Destin
I like that feeling I get when I do the final watch through of a video just before uploading it.... and I genuinely enjoy the content. It's like I'm grateful that the video exists, independent of who made it. Checkout this link to sign up for the email list if you’d prefer not to think and want me to just email new videos to you when I make them. www.smartereveryday.com/email-list Thanks to all the Coasties that took the time to teach me, and who worked with me to make this video possible.
Love you!!!!
My son and I watch your videos and discuss them. Thanks for helping educate in a fun way!
Yey Destin ur the best!)
I love all of your videos, and have been looking forward to this installment for weeks!! Don’t wait so long with the next one, LOL. Thank you Destin for everything. Blessings!
🤠🤧
That drifting VS pattern was really interesting. Overlying drifts with search patterns really leads to a counterintuitive result. This video definitely lived up to the channel name. 👍
Yeah it was really cool. The math of a floating center is so cool.
Click out of search zone one, search zone two is binding.
Feels like we dropped into a false Datum
Aye!!! I’m surprised to meet you here. 😂
@@TheNuclearBolton ya. It's always fun so see that one of your favorite KZheadrs watches another of your favorite KZheadrs.
"Zoom in, enhance" I think Destin just fulfilled a childhood dream saying that line.
That Blade runner thing made me laugh. :D
Lol. I was worried people wouldn’t get the joke.
I had to stop the video to look for this comment. I just had. This Easter egg made my day, thanks! :D Now back to the vid.
@@smartereveryday oh we got it
@@smartereveryday I didn't get the joke... Sorry for my other comment I really thought that was there to impress like in CSI 😕
Destin learning how to whistle with his fingers was the most wholesome thing I'll see today
i still don't get it...i tried doing the same thing a few times and it just did nothing
@@ironboy3245 keep playing with it and you’ll get there. Play with how far your fingers go in your mouth, how much tongue you roll over, and how firm your lips are. I personally clamp my lips somewhat tightly down on my first knuckle (so fingers are an inch inside my mouth). Your lips should be like as if you were pretending to be a toothless old guy. My fingers roll my tongue over pretty much in the middle of my tongue. Blow as if your were forcefully blowing bubbles thru a straw. While blowing, change the angle between your hands. The video shows your “finger guns” touching, but I personally get better results when they are about 80-90 degrees apart.
@@ironboy3245 hahah it's hilarious to me we all learn this as kids where I grew up.
@@unixtreme I just don't understand how learning equates to being able to perform it, I think I just have a different tongue or fingers or mouth or something since I'm following the steps precisely and nothing, in contrast in can whistle the normal way perfectly
@@Officialmartymars I actually always wanted to be able to do this but never could. I figured that I just didn't have the right tongue for it but I tried doing it exactly as he showed Destin and I actually started to make the sound but it's late and I don't want to wake up my neighbors so I'll try again tomorrow.
I honestly love how they were there to talk and teach instead of them just doing it and you watching. You don't even ask anything and they'll still look at you and the camera and explain everything. Amazing way to teach and learn.
Hello Dxnny, how’re you doing?
@@kevinmilies8139 hes doing fine
I noticed that as well! I believe it's a military thing, having served in Army for 21+, when we have civilians interested in what/how we do things it's imperative to explain it so they can understand it. They did it so well.
I’m an old man, and just did the finger whistle for the first my whole life and have always wanted to learn and no one has been able to explain it to me. Love this channel!!!
I know right! Me too!
I can't figure it out! I don't know what they're doing with their tongue hahaha
Well I tried it but can't do it right.
I still couldn't make it! :(
@@physictist You're not alone.
A retired Coastie here. It's good to see someone talking about what the Coast Guard does to help their fellow man in distress. It's not talked about much, and I wish things like this was publicized more. I think it would benefit the Coast Guard greatly. I had a lot of fun in the Coast Guard, there's a lot of real good, and dedicated men and women hard at work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to do only one small part of the Coast Guard's job. I don't regret the time I served, and I'd gladly do it again without hesitation. I remember one SAR case I got involved in. I was on a cutter returning from a Narcotics Patrol in the Caribbean, on our way home when we got tagged to do a SAR for a sailboat. It was almost an all hands effort, even I had pair of binoculars and was looking for them. I made a comment to one my fellow watchstanders saying "it's too bad we don't have a helo onboard". I noticed the Captain jerked his head up and stared at me, then left the bridge. The next morning we had a helo onboard. After refueling it, giving the flight crew bathroom break (called a head), and a snack, they were back in the air officially joining the SAR effort. About 40 minutes into their patrol. They found the sailboat. All hands were rescued. And we went home to loved ones we hadn't seen in almost 2 months.
Hey why does coastguard do law enforcement at all? It's like if firefighters arrested people, or if paramedics handed out traffic citations. Isn't that an obvious conflict of interest?
@@introprospector Congress has granted them arrest authority. It's the only branch of service that has this authority. It is needed to arrest drug smugglers, and other violators of the law at sea.
@@introprospector Game wardens have some of that same dual responsibility - protection and enforcement.
@@QuentinNeill Right, but that's not a conflict of interest. The needs and interests of humans and of wild animals can be clearly delineated, even if sometimes those delineations aren't fair or just. The physical, bodily needs of drug smugglers and of illegal immigrants are the same as citizens and tourists. Putting their lives in the hands of law enforcement is an obvious conflict of interest.
@@davidleadford6511 I understand why the government wants that to be done. What seems wrong is to have those same people responsible for rescuing people. Rescues should be rescues, pure and simple. Shouldn't matter who you are or what you've done. They're still human beings.
My relative was once the subject of a Coast Guard search and he mentioned that they told him they found him because they knew he was alone with just a kayak and did modeling math. They told him that a ship juts way more out of the water and usually has WAY more air currents exerted on it than a person with just their head and shoulders out of the water, who is pulled by the first 8 feet of surface currents. Mindblowing. That's a level of predictive science that's like... High risk high reward meteorology.
I'm remember that piece of wisdom in case it ever comes in handy!
Former Canadian Volunteer marine SAR guy here. Ive done all of these search patterns except the barrier search (not relative for our region) and this video is absolutely dead accurate for how it really works. In canada we use slightly different terms and tech, but the core is exactly the same, as are the outcomes. Bravo Zulu to everyone involved in this!
I am a member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. We also train on these search patterns in our mission to augment the active duty surface operations. This is one of the best explanations of SAR patterns I have ever seen. I am going to suggest to all of my operational colleagues that they watch this episode. Bravo Zulu, Destin!
Thanks for being out there!
Thanks.
@Jonathan Did you know that one of the preeminent SAR experts at the SAR School at RTC Yorktown was a CG Auxiliarist? Great gentlemen who did it on a voluntarily basis. Passed over the bar a few years ago but I still recall him fondly.
How does uscg use drones in searches
Just says a bunch. Legit coast guard using this video as an instruction on how to do a search pattern.
Washed my hands, spent maybe seven min trying; got a little light headed. But after about twelve years I can finally whistle with my fingers. A skill I've always genuinely desired.
I can whistle with my teeth and my lips, but not my fingers.
I still can't do it, I honestly have no idea what I'm doing wrong lol.
@@oMuStiiA I have heard that different people have different amount of muscle control in their mouth, and learning to whistle can be harder for some than others.
@@amalirfan as far as I'm aware I have more muscle control in my mouth than most, I feel like I just haven't figured out which muscles to use in which exact positions/combination yet lol.
@@oMuStiiAlmaooo. 😂😂. This was much funnier than it probably should have been to me. 😂😂
At first, I thought they would be crisscrossing the triangles, and the center was fixed by GPS. When I discovered they move around the perimeter of the triangles surveying in three directions and staying relative to a drifting center, it all fell into place. This is one of the most interesting and relevant things I have ever watched. Thank you and bravo.
Same here, it clicked for me when they were out on the water. Pretty genius and really an interesting random thing to learn
Wow, as a scuba diver this is so reassuring and although it makes total sense, it would definitely not have been the way I would've steered the boat if I ever lost a buddy. So cool, and everyone in the video is so nice! Thanks for this video :D
Currents can act different underwater so it may not be completely applicable but it beats just staying in one spot looking around
As a retired Coastie of almost 22 years, I want to thank you for this look into what truly is an amazing career! The men and women of the CG work tirelessly to maintain their profession, which is hard to convey to anyone who is not a member of the CG. Your CG series is doing a good job as helping the public see a little more of what makes the CG such a great service! I miss being in the CG, as I feel the CG and its outstanding members helped made me the person I am today. Keep up the great content, and stay safe out there, my brothers and sisters in blue!
The whistling thing is extremely infuriating as I've never in my whole life been able to do it. Seeing Destin do it first try fills me with jealousy. I swear I've tried it a million times.
same lol
I managed to do it first time. But in the same excitement as Destin I can't recreate it again.
I've never been able to do it either haha, despite wishing I could.
i tried following the instructions, still cant do it
Yup. Can't regular whistle either. Tried my whole life and I'm gonna be 40 next year. Our mouths must be shaped weird or something 🤔😒
I love what the Coastguard does. Your videos highlight the precision and professionalism of how they do and why they do their business. As pilot, I’m awed by their SAR process.
I spent 23 years as a coxswain with the Coast Guard Auxiliary before retiring four years ago. We did a lot of search-pattern training and I wish I'd had your video to show new crew members before going out. You did an excellent job, and it was a pleasure going through it again with you.
Career Mariner here, I would also like to stress the importance of the capacity of those in need to reacue to also have their own search and scanning patterns. If they have flares, mirrors, flashlights, whistles, smoke signals, flags, anything... it can help the search party locate them quicker. Do not use your equipment until you spot a search asset. I understand not all lost at sea may have this equipment.
This video was awesome but your point here is huge as well! Thanks to everyone out there helping people!
Lake Ontario is 40 miles wide and 150miles long. Waves can reach 8 feet tall very quickly (20minutes) when the NW winds come down the lake. Then, that person's head sticking up half a foot is only visible when the person and possibly the search boat are both on top of a wave. Wear you lifejacket with a light when there's any wind or you're out at night. I spent a miserable night looking for someone who fell off another boat near us. Lost cause. Of course, there was the comedy-show bright sunny day, when we came on a small outboard cruiser that had run out of gas, and was waving a Texaco NY State road map at us (no maps) and asking "where's land" after drifting for ten hours in the hot sun. The Olcott US coast guard picked them up eventually but we had to call the Canadian Coast Guard to phone the US coast guard because they weren't monitoring their radio. Oops. [fifty foot hills are invisible more than about 10 miles out because of the curve of the earth. You can see a bit of only Rochester's highest buildings in the background of the video at one point. ]
@seeni gzty Something that has helped is self-inflating lifejackets with lights built in that actuate when wet. A few have radio beacons.
I always heard that you should use the mirror periodically
@@thejerk4478 Granted, my statement is for the consumables. With the possible exception of electronic aids like GPS, and Sea Oil. I'd also like to add the impact that a task could have on moral. Keep someone or yourself busy while waiting for help. Wave the orange flag, flash the horizon with the mirror, scan your surroundings constantly when possible. If with a group, try to ask what the others see if you think you've spotted something but are unsure. Desparate people may easily be influenced by suggestion. Every dot in the sky begins to look like a plane, every white capped wave looks like a ship.
I feel you, bro. So many times, I have filmed things "out of phase." It's a perfect way to describe that phenomenon.
I was in Hawaii snorkeling. I had the perfect 5 minutes following a beautiful fish. Found out after that The camera was out of phase.
They really should have an audio tone for starting and another for ending, it would work underwater as well
@@haydo8373 the new go pros have this thank God! They also record the last 10 to 30 seconds incase you didn't hit record before something awesome happens.
I did this at a friend's wedding. Not a good place to do it!
As an audio engineer I completely agree.
I loved the end of this video. It's great to go out on a laugh. I think I replayed the dummy being pulled out of the water and hitting his head on the boat. Ortiz's laugh was so genuine.
Great to see Station Rochester featured (and of course CG in general)! I work in the Sector Command Center for Rochester's AOR and it's still amazing to me the tools we use to get the job done. Definitely checking out the rest of this series, I've really enjoyed your channel!
Been subbed to sed for longer than I've been subbed to anyone else. Genuinely makes me happy to watch your videos Destin. You're like a cool big brother to a lot of us I'm sure, at least for myself I feel that way.
Big bro, hero, who I want to be, model of a true effort towards character... They all flow together sometimes.
@@landonknapp4014 definitely
100%
as I just learned, i’m six years older than Destin, so more like the smarter brother.
Thanks for the kind words! Note: My 3 siblings are cooler than me.
The genuine surprise, awe, and excitement over the whistle working was so fun to watch.
I’m slightly annoyed and jealous that it worked first time and I’m here with my fingers in my mouth going “pftpfpfpftftf”
I learned to do this whistle with no fingers after seeing someone do it during a winter concert rendition of jingle bells when I was like 10. I still can't do it with fingers, and this method didn't work for me either. I feel like it's more useful to be able to do it without needing your hands anyway, but I still don't understand why I can't do it, lol.
I never knew how to whistle. I just followed what he said and 'pfpfpfpf' Same response as destin. "Holy Cow"
@@lukefreeman828 And we all try that, don't we :-D
no shot he did ti his first time. Im literally drooling iover myself wit hmy attemps
Love the sly smile from the coastie while explaining 6 knots for 1 minute.
Destin, that was sooooo cool and informative. I’m glad to see that there is a clear scientific method to their madness when conducting these operations. I love your enthusiasm and work, keep up the good job.
I’m 45 years old. Wanted to do that whistle my whole life. Did it within the first 30 seconds after watching this video. Amazing! Thank you.
I can't figure out what you do with your tongue. HELP ME!!!
Same
My tongue is folded over. Spit just flies everywhere. No noise.
Doesn't work for me at all.
@@piyh3962 Curl your tongue back so the tip is pointing upwards and the underside is facing out, but behind your teeth. Your finger tips should be touching the underside, and your hands/finger guns should be straight, but should be tilted downwards. Then blow. More advanced is to make a ring with your thumb and forefinger, and place the tips evenly on the same underside of the tongue as before. Then blow. That's the one handed whistle. Expert is more difficult again, and only uses the tongue to make a shaped opening with the teeth, lips and blowing. It can be quite loud, but for volume the previous two methods win.
This patterns reminded me of patterns for farming operations. Every pattern is good for certain conditions. For example, the most efficient way for harvest is "narrowing square" or "narrowing parralel" but if there are wild animals spotted in the area, you need "expanding parralel" pattern for those animals/birds to be able to escape.
This needs to be the next video
Wouldn't have thought of that! I'm nerding out on patterns now‐ thanks a lot, Destin.
Too good. @@chrisistubeyou I agree with you!
@@geogineer same lmao ngl, this comment sent me down quite a learning-hole lol
Hey, farming tech could be the next series for Destin!
Love Justin’s _“Awesome Mix vol. 1”_ tattoo!!! Guardians fan no doubt!
Spent 20 years and a month in the Coast Guard in engineering. Never heard of the search pattern VZ. It is job specific. That being said, I'm 57 and just learned to whistle with my fingers. That was awesome. Thanks for the videos.
Did 10, also as a Snipe. Never went to a station. But I also think it's a relatively (compared to our tenure) technique.
Wow! I'm a commercial fisherman on Mobile Bay and have worked along side USCG Sector Mobile in two searches over the years. One of the searches our vessel located the debri and sunken vessel of the lost fisherman, such an odd feeling of joy mixed with sorrow. Both men were eventually located, unfortunately neither alive. We located their debri and vessel along the southwest side of Gaillard Island in the northern half of Mobile Bay, one man was found near the Heron Bay cutoff and the other was found on Petit Bois Island in Mississippi. Very sad, but that's a risk we take in our line of work. I'm very glad to have the USCG out there with us, I've been caught in some very violent weather on that Bay and they fly in it....absolute Mad Lads!!! God bless them.
ill take 1000 for stuff that never happened
@@gearbanginentertainment7476 if you say so Capt
Destin’s reaction to whistling is why I love this channel in a nutshell. The genuine enthusiasm to learn something new, and to share it with us is contagious.
Man this is great to see so many views on the Coast Guard's missions and tactics.
Imagine if our teachers in school were as enthusiastic as Destin. A full grown man who almost passed out from excitement from learning how to whistle. 😂
Everyone talking in this video were able to articulate themselves really well. They don't sound like they only recite stuff they memorized, but like they understand the subject (including the math) and are able to explain it. In short: they all seem to be smart people on top of the can-do attitude. I imagine that the acceptance tests to join are not easy.
Coast guard has the highest retention rate out of all the branches so the coasties tend to like what they do which in turn leads to them understanding better what their jobs are
They each own a advanced levels of motorboat licenses.This require you to be fluent in navigation
You are correct. In the Coast Guard, we are expected to learn everything related to our assets including specifications, gear on board, limitations, and how to operate the asset. We pride ourselves in training for all possible vessle casualties, including casualties to our own assets. The maintenance and cleanliness of all assets, as well as the training of all personnel is a daily event for us. It's an honor and a privilege to serve you, the American people! Highest Regards, -FA Wiese USCG STA Monterey
@@coltsrule98 plus they don’t usually get killed or kill people, at least not on purpose.
Yeah, I agree, the only thing that bothered me is the oddly formal terminology like “air assets”. Reminds me how firefighters like to say apparatus instead of fire truck.
The sign of an expert is being able to explain their craft back to you in a simple way. These coast guard members were very well practiced in what they do
Yes we are. That’s all we do is train.
Smart group of young people. I'm actually quite shocked, and reassured. Most young people I encounter, barely look up from their phones, and when they do, it's to talk about what's on their phones.
Not exactly. Expertise (in a field) and teaching are separate skills. Teaching is basically translating (from the expert to the layman); if I'm bad at translating from English to Spanish, it doesn't mean I'm not an expert at English. It just means I'm bad at translating to Spanish.
@@jacobshirley3457 100% agree. I can't begin to tell you how many bad professors I've had. I don't care if you literally wrote the book on something, if you can't break it down and explain it to laypeople, you aren't going to be a good teacher. I have a great respect for the many scientific communicators on YT such as Kyle Hill, Because Science, and plenty of channels like this one (Smarter Every Day) or Economics Explained for their ability to explain complex topics in a way large audiences can benefit from.
The KZhead algorithm has a dark sense of humor😂
Solid content. It’s impressive seeing the coast guard guys talking easily about complex procedures. Respect.
Well I just learned how to whistle with my hands the first try... That is crazy haha.
I hyperventilated and blew spit all over the place.
Thanks for your videos, you helped me out a lot.
I am still unable to whistle at all
Hey Chris, love your channel!
yeah tried it lined up the lines nothn, my mouth broken
I hope everybody watching this video series will appreciate the level of training and competence of the Coast Guard personnel. Because they are so well trained, the Coast Guard entrusts their junior personnel with a tremendous degree of authority and autonomy. The Coast Guard is a great organization with some really impressive people.
Semper paratus!
Amen, Douglas. If you notice in the video, most of the individuals conducting the mission and the training are E-4 and E-5s. Not too many government agencies would qualify a 20 year old, E-4 to be in charge of a boat like that!
Awesome! As a former ground SAR volunteer, I found the marine search patterns really interesting. And that finger whistling was just so cool! It reminded me when I was learning the skill when I was about 11 years old, while waiting my turn for an annual athletic medical checkup with about ten other boys. You can imagine the racket, and what the nurses thought of it… lol. But I digress. A great video! I am smarter than I was yesterday 😀
Fine video and host! He asks really good questions that teach the concepts well. I have a new appreciation for the Coast Guard and their methods.
The square wave search pattern is called Boustrophedon, literally meaning "turning like the ox plows". That's the one piece of information I can't forget from my university signal-processing classes....
*Destin listing search patterns * “…and the last one is…” *garbled*
Thanks for that! It's similar to the way CRTs would draw images on the screen!
It's also how some adressable led screens are setup.
@@satibel Honestly, this method is still used on most modern screens which is why gaming monitors tell you the refresh rate lol
@@3nertia Are you referring to the way a cathode-ray vacuum tube electron gun manipulates the electron beams to display images on a phosphorescent screen?
"Let's simulate the GPS coordinates of an RBM performing a victor sierra in different types of sea drift." That is one heck of a sentence, and props for explaining and constructing the video so well that the meaning is absolutely clear. Always impressed with the depth of understanding each of your videos guides the watcher to.
The fact that my KZhead is recommending this video from over a year ago in the wake of the Titan Titanic submarine tragedy is hilariously dark.
I appreciate that the hand-drawn intro was probably as much effort as the rest of the video.
I was just reading about the development of optimal search patterns last week. Good to finally learn how to finger whistle!
I still don't get it maybe I'm just to stupid 😅
@@demp11 YESSIR
i nearly blacked out i dont get it how to do?! :D
Curling your tongue back makes all the difference
@@demp11 I don't get it either. I'm not clear whether the tongue is "folding over" side-to-side or you're trying to flip it over front-back. And when he says "blow down" I don't know if that means you want the air to go under the tongue or what.
“I was out of phase” is SUCH an engineer way of saying “I forgot it was already on” lol Loving this series. Keep up the great work.
These guys are legendary..knowing these guys are out there doing this important work makes me feel safer when I go out sea fishing..
This is such good content! I sail on inland waters on the east coast so this was really cool to learn, thank you!
That whistle moment gave me chills! Destin, your genuine surprise and glee was so awesome. Thank you for your video!
I have been trying to learn this FOREVER. Got it on the fourth or fifth try!
Ive had my hands in my mouth for 5 minutes. i feel silly and still cant figure it out haha
@@ipstardell Grab some paper towels. I didn't get on my first, second or third try. Gotta dry off and I'll try it again.
I'd like to compare my no-fingers method to this double-guns method.
@@christophermusso the no-finger method is better.. learned it when I was a kid. Over the years I learned how to change pitch mid-whistle
Amazing video as usual. Also, whistled first time with that trick!
Nice!! Yeah I was blown away that it worked for me.
Love both your videos!! And yeah!!! It totally worked the first time. I had the same reaction as Destin!!! 😯🤯
Loved how excited you got. Amazed it worked the first time though, when I was a kid I almost passed out trying 🤣
I agree. I’ve been able to whistle with thumb and finger for many years, but was inconsistent with it. Now I have a better understanding of the mechanics of it, I think I’ll be much more consistent in executing it.
I’ve always wanted to be able to whistle like this, long story short I’m very surprised how easily this worked. My wife is not so thrilled >.
Fascinating indeed, how the Victor-Sierra works out with the drift of the waves. Thanks for this episode, it is fascinating and very informative!
When I was stationed in USCG Air Station Clearwater on HC130H's, did a SAR for a sinking/sunk sailboat off of Bermuda. I was a loadmaster, camera operator, dropmaster and other things. I don't make the search pattern, our radar operator does that, so don't really know much about it. This helps make sense of why district gave us a search box pretty far away from where the EPIRB was pinging (satellite beacon that floats in water). Probably took us 8+ hours to get on scene and it was pretty rough waters so I guess district did their drift calculations and came up with the search box. We/my aircraft commander wanted to fly directly to the EPIRB first but was told to begin the search box instead. Once we completed the search box and only had I think 30 minutes of on scene time for fuel left, my aircraft commander flew us straight to the EPIRB and we found them! The sailboat's captain kept the EPIRB on the raft they got on as the sailboat sunk. The EPIRB was not floating around separate to them. We stayed on scene to direct a good Samaritan cargo ship to them and they were saved. All survived, nice to have days like that. Think we were near 15 hours of flight time.
My dad was a rescue swimmer for 20 years, and I’ve never thought about what it took for him and the helicopter crew to find the casualties. Thank you for the extra insight, awesome series by the way
ASTs ("rescue swimmers") are awesome individuals whose training and work are invaluable! Semper Paratus!😎✌🏼
Semper Paratus!
Peter your dad was a CG legend. I flew with him in Kodiak. Tell your dad I said hello and that he doesn't know how to run a chainsaw.
The animation of the VS search following that janky course was brilliant. I had to rewind and watch it again. The static pattern flowing over a moving plane suddenly made sense. Thanks for making it so easy to understand!
Your observation was well put. Thanks for being the first to put this into eloquent wording.
These shows are incredible and educational I have watched a load of them and there’s not one that’s boring. In fact it’s helped me with my anxiety it takes me to a place of excitement and wonder keep them coming these coast guard 1s are the best. From uk 🇬🇧
Nice touch at the end, Destin! And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" Thank you, Coast Guard!
Thank you for highlighting the Small Boat role in SAR. Everyone focuses on the "Airedales" and the glory of the helicopters; what they miss is the crews that go out in the worst weather, spend hours on scene searching and getting beaten on by the ocean, only to have the air assets show up and make the rescue. And we still have hours more punishment going back to the station, doing maintenance to get ready for the next call, and doing our reports. Like the crew from Station Rochester said, sometimes it's fun and sometimes it absolutely sucks. That said, we wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Semper Paratus.
I don't get why both you and Destin say that everyone thinks about the helicopter rescues, the boats are always what primarily comes to my mind when I think about search and rescue
well said. nothing worse than being in rough seas in a tiny boat for 8 hours
Hats off to the "Black Shoes", they earned their paycheck hard each day, us Airedales had a limited time in the air before we headed back to the house to refuel and grab a bite to eat. Hey, we depended heavily upon our surface assets and just "bird dogged" for you guys.
We beat the airsta one time and it was a huge win for us.
I was an airdale... The small boat crews are essential and under appreciated. There are many elements to the USCG; I was also a marine casualty investigator... marine safety side of the USCG is even more under appreciated; if they do their job right, nothing happens. Working as a primary care provider in the medical field, (as opposed to emergency medicine) when never get thanked when I get someone to take a flu shot and they don't get the flu. To your point though, there was never a time that when I was out on a case that I did not appreciate what our small boat crews were doing. In particular with boat hoisting work; going out in December to help keep the aircrews current... that is unique sort of sacrafice... so please let me say it now for all times it was over looked... THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE USCG BOAT CREWS from a H65 pilot.
My late father was in the USCG from 1950-75 and shared a lot of stories with me from things you would never think the Coast Guard would do. He did weather patrols in the Pacific (long before there were weather satellites), was stationed in Rhodes, Greece on the USCGC Courier that broadcast the Voice of America across the Iron Curtain and into the Soviet Union, worked on a buoy tender for the last of the atomic and first of the hydrogen bomb tests, and worked in Public Health Service hospitals (back when we had Public Health Service Hospitals...), and many other things. He passed away last year at 93 and I am still proud of everything he did!
He had an interesting life for sure!
Maybe your father was nearby when my high school NJROTC instructor's DD drug anchor off of Rhodes, Greece, and went hard aground! You never know...
That sounds like a good life.
People rarely believe me when I talk about the places I went. Funny enough, both of my ships were in active service when he was in (Sedge and Munro).
I remember reading once that in a "man overboard situation" if you happen to see the person fall overboard or already in the water- you should not take your eyes off them. In rough seas you may never get another visual on the person due to the waves etc, and you may never find them again.
Love this, so much. As a kid I knew there was so many variables that has to be able to calculate into real events, there is no way we can't have formulas for everything needed. That's why i'm so in love with this, and made it so effective.
Hello how are you doing ?
The humility to admit when you messed up. Doing it when you could just edit that out and pretend it didn't happen - priceless. You're a man of character, Destin.
character lmao, more like short on time
@@eavyeavy2864 his video is way over the 10 minute mark, wdym
@@youreright...1284 "short on time" here means "lacking time to produce the video to the desired standard", not "lacking video runtime/length".
@@JivanPal oh my bad 😌
Having served in the Coast Guard for 6 years more than 30 years ago it is nice to see an educational video of these fine professionals. No on ever seems to think about those that risk their lives to save others. The old saying, “They say we have to go out…they don’t say we have to come back,” is so true. Training is done on nice calm sunny days like this but I can assure you when you are doing SAR cases in real life that is never the case. There were many times I thought we weren’t going to make it back in the seas we were in. I have passed on my patriotism and desire for service to two of my children who now serve in the Army. So proud of them both. God bless this great nation and those that protect her. Semper Paratus!
Why does coastguard do law enforcement at all? It's like if firefighters arrested people, or if paramedics handed out traffic citations. Isn't that an obvious conflict of interest?
@@introprospector They're in charge of maritime registration and inspection. They can do a random spot inspection of your boat at any time on the water, though they're usually pretty cool and just give you a warning for things to fix (like replace an expired fire extinguisher). Since they're going to be randomly boarding and inspecting boats anyway, they need to have the authority to act on any criminal activity they come across. BTW, firefighters do the same thing too. If you own a business where the public comes onto your premises, it needs to be inspected by the fire marshall. They can issue fines, shut you down, and even arrest you if you're not in compliance.
Semper Paratus!
"No one ever seems to think about those that risk their livesbto save others..." Actually some of us civilians do think of first reponders and appreciate what they do.
@@introprospector It is one of the founding missions of th Coast Guard. Originally there was two separate services, the U.S. Life Saving Service and the Revenue Cutter Service. The Revenue Cutter service acted as customs for ships coming from overseas and they would collect tarifs (hence the revenue) and fight smuggling. They ended up combine the two services and responsibilities along with others like the Steam Boat Inspection Service and the Light House Service. That is why the Coast Guard has so many main missions that were listed in the previous episode.
The Coastie says "We'll travel 6 miles an hour for 1 minute" . Rocket scientist says "How far will that take you?" Coastie giggles slightly and replies " 0.1 mile"😂
Helping people think, showing some great examples, to make it real! Awesome stuff. Thanks for sharing!
Nice video. Back in the 70's when I was a Coast Guard Helo pilot there were no computers, GPS, calculators, or autopilots. We did expanding squares, parrallel lines, track lines, and creeping patterns. We calculated it manually on out knee pads with a Jeppsen flight computer. What we did have, if we had an approximate position, was a datum marker buoy. It was a radio transmitter with a flashing light that we dropped. It drifted with the current and it made it easier particularly for expanding square patterns as your turn points were specific radio directional headings to the datum. Of course we also had to compensate for the wind which was different from the current since the aircraft was affected by the wind and the wind over the body of water was different from at base so our heading on each leg had to be offset. Things are a lot more complicated. A body is mainly carried by the current but a boat or raft is also affected by the wind from the amount of surface area above the water. Then, is there a sea drogue deployed or not which would give a compromise between wind and water. The wind is constantly changing so how long has it been since the event and how long is the search taking. A storm system going through changes wind direction as it passes. There is fetch which is surface current from long term wind versus ocean current such as the Gulf Stream. They may actually be going in the opposite direction. Waves, though they mainly are going up and down also effects drift by causing slippage for a boat or raft. Things are a lot easier now for the pilots with onboard computers and autopilots that will fly the search pattern allowing the pilots and crew to spend more time looking outside for that tiny dot of a head or life jacket in rough seas. I actually got to do the prototype testing on the first aircraft flir systems which really helps out. Destin, are you sure you really want to get into this deep stuff? Enjoy all the math. I look forward to seeing the rest of the series.
This is what never ceases to amaze me. That before everyone had a super computer in their pocket - (and before everyone's toothbrush & refridgerator were connected to the internet) - people were already getting such complicated tasks done. (much like the computer on the Apollo mission to the moon (that Destin had a video about)... A couple hundred kilobytes worth of mechanical transistors... And it went to the moon, succesfully) Thank you for sharing this extensive outline of your work.
This brought back memories of being a rescue swimmer years ago. One of the most disappointing things was staring out the window of the helicopter, searching for hours and hours, and never finding the victims.
Seriously, thank you for your service. That’s one hardcore job.
@@ScotPhelps Yes thank you. Very brave
Genuinely makes me want to cry thinking about it. I could never handle that work, even if it's not my fault we don't find them.
What about the feeling of finding someone? If you did
Semper Paratus, Coastie. Thank you for your service.
Nice whistle. :) As a rescue diver we were taught similar patterns. Good to see the coast guard is so well manned with great technology.
When you whisled and learned something so fast, I enjoy that feeling too, how amazing is that, I just get so hyped like you do. I learned some harder maths for an assessment and I was just so happy, after the test I passed out so hard from being excited all day. I just wish there was more people to have fun with math with, so really get people into it... There isn't much play room for maths with others.
Hello Rusty
As a (much less experienced) mechanical engineer as well, I think it makes perfect sense to call the buoy a datum because it is stationary RELATIVE to the drift of the water. You are keeping track of your starting point relative to the drift, not geological coordinates like the GPS uses, and thus measuring the exact drift at the same time!
Yea, it's completely legit to call it stationary because it is in its specific point of reference. Our geo location are stationary in the planet point of reference but if we take Sun as the (0, 0, 0) your house is dancing around the sun and orbiting the center of Earth + Moon center of mass, right? :)
@@aikenPL Yes, everything is relative to your frame of reference
@@theELiTEboarder no, yours!
true, I instantly thought of this and I am still in HS lol
@@jack2u smart dude
The palpable Joy you feel figuring out how to whistle like that is EXACTLY why I love this channel.
This is the most fascinating video that you've ever produced (I'm biased because I love the ocean), and I just wanted to say that you are such an inspiration to so many people; keep doing what you're doing!
I said it on the last video in this series, but I feel these are as important as they are interesting, fantastic work Destin and a big thank you to you and all guys and gals out there risking their lives every day for our safety
As a random lateral connection. I have seen many pro paragliders recommending this search pattern for thermals. Most guides say to turn into the thermal. But in doing so you often just circle past it and miss it. The solution, apparently is to do a 270* turn away from where you think the thermal is, which should then align you to pass through the centre of it. It also accounts for your wind drift and the thermals.
I'll have to try that next time I'm looking for thermals
I feel like I'm missing something... what are thermals?
@@trickytreyperfected1482 Rising columns of warmer air. Like when you boil a pan of water you see the water vapour rising from the pan. The air that's rising above that pan is a thermal. Those thermals can happen at much larger scales as well when a piece of land gets hotter than it's surroundings. Then you get a much larger thermal and it is what raptors and glider pilots use to gain altitude without the need of flapping or an engine.
@@martijn9568 I see. That's actually very interesting. Thank you! I probably won't ever be able to use that information, but I personally love knowing cool things that I'll never realistically use.
@@trickytreyperfected1482 Atleast you now know why that hawk or glider is circling your house😉
21 year retired Coastie here and you explained that perfectly. The funny thing is our small boat station community are some of our youngest people and they are performing these searches all the time. It sounds complex but when you do them all the time it becomes routine. The large ships and aircraft use the same procedures.
I was just thinking that they must practice these searches at least monthly and with crew in changing roles.
@@travelinman70 I was an in the U.S. Air Force and my role was as an Air Force Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) team member. Personally I was active duty and we practiced our roles weekly and I'd be interested to know if the Coastie have a similar regimented training schedule.
This was awesome, thanks for presenting. I saw a Coastie presentation on something approach finite element analysis for drift outside the Golden Gate. They dump a HUGE number of micro-transmitters in the water and measure the drift for each one. This feeds back to a super computer and they adjust their models for drift (much in the same way our wind/temp reports to Air Traffic Control feedback to NOAA/NWS to refine winds aloft and other weather forecasts). As a result, PIW off the Golden gate, feed in current conditions and voila, high probability search area. Nifty!
This is fascinating. Thank you for shining a spotlight on this unbelievably important work.
The expertise and dedication of these young men and women is impressive. To all the Coasties out there, thank you for your service!
This is a great
Nice
a great
video?
Why are you everywhere
Loving the tat on Justin's arm @8:46 - Guardians of the Galaxy! So cool that it's only oriented correctly when he's at his station working...
Nice, this will come in handy when I plan coast guard rescue patterns.
I had a hard time acclimating to college and almost quit pursuing engineering to find another major, but through your videos and some other fantastic creators in this genre I found a major I enjoy. So thank you.
That's so fantastic, best to you in your pursuits! 👍
The most mind-blowing thing I'm taking away from this video: I just learned how to finger whistle. I can whistle a tune well enough, but I've never been able to do those really loud whistles. I tried learning the way where you make a ring with your index finger and thumb and blow down that, but was never consistent. But I did the step by step he showed in this video and immediately got a loud clear whistle. Very minor thing but I'm honestly really amazed right now. (Not anywhere near consistent though, I'll need practice.)
Keep practicing.. I've been able to whistle like that and the no-finger method since I was a kid
Same! I found the key, at least for me, is my pinkies staying parallel. Let my main gun fingers bend into my mouth and BLAM instant super loud whistle. Been trying my whole life and this was the first time and it took seconds of trying.
I got nothing but dizzy. I can whistle really loud though with just my lips.
I managed to get out a tiny bit of sound on the fifth attempt, kept trying now my lips hurt and I'm dizzy lol
After dozens of unsuccessful attempts, I went back and rewatched the video. I found out that what I was doing wrong was the angle of the hands and fingers in relation to the body. Your hands should be pointing up, not into your mouth. I'm now able to do it consistently.
Been trying to whistle like this my whole life, 38 years, never could until today. So Happy. Thanks 😮😊😂
I lived in fort walton, just west of Destin for 5 years. Also, I've been trying to learn how to finger whistle sinse I was a kid. My dad used to call us kids home with that whistle. Thanks to THIS video (after watching MANY others), I did it FIRST TRY. Thanks for all you do!
I am so happy that you are raising awareness of the U.S. Coast Guard. I lived that life for four years, saving the lives of scores of people, None of whom I know personally. However, wearing Coast Guard swag, I have people thanking me for my service, which, serving just a few years after the end of the Vietnam War and remembering their cold reception returning home means alot. But what is really cool is that at least once a year, someone would come up to me and say that they are alive today because of the Coast Guard. That's what it's all about. The Auxiliary taught people to be safer boaters and avoid becoming victims. Usually, the ones we rescued missed those classes. We also did law enforcement patrols to protect our shores and natural resources. Coast Guard ATON units, the black boats took care of all the aids to navigation and the red cutters are ice breakers. They love to back and ram. Or at least that's what their tee shirts claim. The helicopter swimmers are like the Coast Guard's special forces. After a hero with Navy Seals swimmers who rescue downed pilots assisted on a mission in the early 80s, rescuing victims too exhausted to get in a basket on their own, the Coast Guard recognized that we needed the same resources, the Coast Guard AST's were born. Less than 50 percent of those who attend AST school actually make it through the training. They truly are a special bree d.
That whistle reaction was authentic, blissful, innocent, and perfect.
I appreciate the graphics. They helped me understand what is going on.
I took part in a (ultimately successful) search for two missing persons of a downed aircraft over the ocean, but the patterns proved entirely wrong in this case because they did not predict or include the possibility the persons in the water would be swimming towards the nearest shoreline, and had moved many miles from the search area. I did happen to fly over the missing persons, as I was not part of the "official" search and/or pattern system, but I unfortunately did NOT see them in the water, and was only informed I flew over them by them telling me this after the fact. (This is hard to hear and not get discouraged.) As you mentioned, a person is VERY hard to see in the ocean unless you are very close to them. When they were only a mile or so from the shoreline, they were ultimately spotted by an aircraft landing at a nearby airport.
Don't be discouraged, like most misses, the best you can do is learn from it. However, I gotta admit, not taking into account swimming seems pretty surprising. Anyone who has the knowledge and strength is probably going to go for the route the empowers them. Unlike, say, when you get lost in a forest -- to be lost means you don't know which direction to go so, if you have done the right thing and informed people of where you would be and expected return time, best to stay put.
I came down to the comments to ask about accounting for a person swimming, looks like you read my mind. I wonder if there is a standard "they'll head for the coast, are a moderate swimmer and 20 years old so we make this adjustment" kind of thing? It could get really complex but if I had to guess, I'd say they don't consider this as it's too variable
One thing that was drilled into me when I was beginning to explore the wide open world outdoors was to stay with the wreck unless it became unsafe to do so. SAR has a much easier time spotting a 15' long jeep or boat than a person, especially if they're in the water. Strong swimmer or not, it's also very difficult to judge how far you are from land when your eyeballs are only a few inches above the surface and only get intermittent glances.
@@jarphabib My counterpoint is that if you have survived a sinking (not a capsize), can see land, and are a moderate swimmer, you can probably make it on your own, and even if you can't, you're doing something - anything - to keep that will to live. The psychological is usually the bigger battle. I can't imagine thinking "I'm just going to tread water right here for as long as I can."
@@PatrickKQ4HBD Is it really a counterpoint when I directly said "unless it becomes unsafe" and an entirely cleanly sunk boat would probably qualify. Will to live can manifest in many ways. "I can't imagine burning all my calories struggling against unknown currents when I could just float here for free." I haven't been in the boating game in a while, but IIRC most modern composite boats and even aluminum ones tend to be neutrally buoyant when flooded, they don't Titanic straight to the bottom unless heavily damaged. Steel hulled ships and workboats are a different matter of course. But then you're going to have a debris field, and 50 floating lounge cushions are going to be easier to find than one swimmer who struck out alone.
A long time ago I saw a video from a fixed camera over a stretch of water with icebergs of various sizes and they were going in all different directions past each other. Basically the wind blew in one direction, the surface current went another direction, and the deeper current went in a third direction. As the icebergs of different sizes and shapes rotated, the 3 forces just pushed them in apparently entirely random directions, it was amazing to watch!!
I just learned to finger whistle while watching this video. I always wanted to learn that! SOOO COOL! Thanks, Justin and Destin! Hey, Destin, have you been to Destin Beach, Florida? The sand is super white and so fine in particulate that it squeaks when your feet move in and against it. You'll love it!
As a sailor I found the discussion of the Coast Guards VS execution very interesting. Getting aboard the vessel and watching an exercise was invaluable.
In my early days of doing analysis of anti-submarine warfare for the US Navy, we had a term called "flaming datum". If a friendly surface vessel got torpedoed, it was a datum used to initiate a search for a hostile sub in that area.
GO NAVY
That is assuming that it was still afloat! If it was a ship full of ammo.....! Huge datum of floating bits.
When I was in the Army, I learned a similar thing to the Victor Sierra for land navigation. We called it a Clover. Basically, if you're looking for something at a specific coordinate, you plot it out and get to wherever you think that coordinate is. Then you use wherever you are as a starting point and make four loops in every direction, like the leaves on a clover, to try to find what you're looking for.
From an old retired Navy man who did a lot of sea duty, I was totally impressed. I have long recognized the Coast Guard was much more than most ever thought. You are Always Ready.
Great video! I’ll take that knowledge with me back and try to implement that in the Danish Marine Home Force
CG Vet here. Glad you did a series on the USCG. By far the best decision of my life, best people to serve with. And, unfortunately, the lease funded or talked about service. Fair winds and following seas… Semper Paratus!
That's because you're a Puddle Pirate and not a part of the military! 🤣Unless you were a part of the CG prior to 2001
@@Lady_Mandoyou’re disgusting.
@@Lady_Mando u suck
@@Lady_Mando least the CG are rescuing people and reuniting families instead of bombing weddings and shooting intersections.
Semper Paratus my friend.
Destin, I’ve been following your channel for a long time. Love your content! This one in particular hits home because I’m one of the lead technicians that maintains the software and infrastructure for the SAROPS program that you’re referring to. My coworker and I are on-call 24/7/365 to ensure a 100% uptime of SAROPS program for all the command centers. Thank you for such an excellent video, please keep them coming!!! I will be sharing this with my team!
And you guys do a great job of that Phil! Thanks
@@thewendts Thank you 😁
What kind of infrastructure is needed to maintain this program? Is the software standalone, or does it require internet access to talk to your servers or databases? To calculate search patterns, is the info from the Victor Sierra (set and drift, was it?) all you need to perform the necessary calculations, or is there supplementary information the program provides such as info on tides, wave height, wind, and weather?
You're one of the best my brother!
@@Romeo_Alpha thanks brother, hope you’re enjoying your retirement!!
Old sailor, nerding out on this. Great content. Thanks for the effort, and the quality job of editing. (I'm a video editor - kudos to you)
That sliding Victor Sierra graphic was exactly what I needed to visualize this, thanks!