29 Nov 1945
United States
United States
- A nor'easter storm caused an oil barge to run aground on the Penfield Reef in Long Island Sound just off Fairfield, Connecticut, United States, causing serious damage. The barge slowly took on water, and the crew of five were stranded on the ship as the poor weather prevented a rescue by boat. As a last resort, the police went to the nearby Sikorsky facilities, asking whether it was possible to use the manufacturer's helicopter to help the crewmen. Sikorsky chief pilot Dmitry "Jimmy" Viner (nephew of Igor Sikorsky), assisted by USAAF Captain Jack Beighle, took off in a R-5 helicopter equipped with a hydraulic hoist built by Breeze (forerunner of today's Breeze-Eastern Corporation) and rescued all five members of the crew. This was the first civilian helicopter rescue operation in history. ww2dbase [Fairfield, Connecticut | CPC]
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Please help us spread the word: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Change View
Desktop ViewSearch WW2DB
News
- » US Government Plans to Purge WW2 Information (17 Mar 2025)
- » WW2DB's 20th Anniversary (29 Dec 2024)
- » Wreck of USS Edsall Found (14 Nov 2024)
- » See all news
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,158 biographies
- » 337 events
- » 44,601 timeline entries
- » 1,243 ships
- » 350 aircraft models
- » 207 vehicle models
- » 376 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 261 facilities
- » 470 book reviews
- » 28,693 photos
- » 431 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"Goddam it, you'll never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me!"Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe, Guadalcanal, 13 Jan 1943