MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD, Calif. - California Air National Guard members from the 129th Rescue Wing conducted a long-range, over-water rescue of two injured fishermen on a fishing vessel Monday, about 700 miles off the coast of Acapulco, Mexico.
The mission began Sunday when Guardian Angel Pararescuemen parachuted off an MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft into the Pacific Ocean and boarded an inflatable Zodiac boat.
Equipped with medical supplies, the pararescuemen maneuvered the boat next to the Chinese fishing vessel before boarding and providing medical treatment to the injured fishermen.
Two Air National Guard HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters departed Monday morning en route to the fishing vessel's location, where aircrews hoisted the pararescuemen and fishermen off the fishing vessel onto the helicopters hovering above.
The fishermen were then flown to Acapulco where they were transferred to an aircraft headed to the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, Calif.
The fishermen arrived in Miramar Monday evening to be transported to the University of California San Diego Medical Center, for further treatment.
"The 129th Rescue Wing provides great value to California and the nation by responding to rescues beyond the capability of other first responders," said Air Force Col. Steven J. Butow, 129th Rescue Wing commander. "This remains a complex and dangerous rescue mission, but our dedicated Airmen remain committed to helping these fishermen."
The primary mission of the 129th Rescue Wing is to conduct its wartime mission of combat search and rescue anywhere in the world.
In addition to its wartime mission, the unit also works closely with the Coast Guard and other civil agencies on state missions; equipped with MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft and HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, the 129th has performed a wide variety of civilian search-and-rescue missions, including responding to distressed persons aboard ships, lost or injured hikers, and medical evacuations.
Over the course of its history, the 129th Rescue Wing has rescued close to a thousand distressed people.