Bert: ‘Life is very tenuous here’
July 6th, 2009 | Coast Guard | Posted by Susan Schept
PA3 Richard Brahm/Coast Guard
Capt. Melissa Bert, the new commander of Coast Guard Sector Juneau, said she has been impressed with the “Good Samaritan” spirit she has encountered in her first month on the job in Alaska. A dozen private vessels and two volunteer sea planes helped in the search for a missing boater last week after a Good Samaritan spotted an unmanned, powered canoe 34 miles west of Wrangell in Clarence Strait. The Coast Guard ultimately had to call off the rescue mission after two unsuccessful days of searching for the former Marine.
“It is amazing how many good Samaritans will help,” Bert said. “That’s very important in remote areas.”
Bert said the weather can be unpredictable, making safety measures extremely important. It is not uncommon in the winter for winds to reach 70 to 80 knots. “While it’s magnificent one moment, it can be terrifying the next,” Bert said. “Life is very tenuous here.”