The helicopters in the Coast Guard Command inventory successfully continue their duties as the eyes of the "Blue Homeland" in the air.
The SG helicopters in the inventory of the Coast Guard Command are used in the performance of many tasks, including "protecting life and property at sea, performing search and rescue and medical evacuation missions, controlling fishing, conducting aerial surveillance to prevent all kinds of smuggling activities and irregular migration activities, carrying out joint operations with other law enforcement units, the Gendarmerie General Command and the General Directorate of Security, and preventing marine pollution."
Known as the command's "eyes in the air," the helicopter and its personnel serve the nation regardless of time.
The TCSG-515 and TCSG-511 helicopters, which are assigned to the Coast Guard Samsun Air Group Command, are on duty in the Black Sea Region. Each of the helicopters has a total of four personnel: two pilots, one flight operator and one search and rescue operator.
“We Serve the Nation Regardless of Time”
Pilot Görkem Kaygusuz, who is on duty at the Coast Guard Samsun Air Group Command, said that floods and landslides can occur seasonally in the Black Sea Region due to sudden rainfall, and that drowning cases are common, especially in the summer months.
Kaygusuz, who stated that they conduct air search and rescue operations on behalf of the Coast Guard Command in the Black Sea Region, said, “In addition, if ordered, we also perform medical evacuation duties to transport those in life-threatening situations such as illness or injury that may suddenly develop on ships sailing within the Turkish Search and Rescue Region or at any point where we are needed, to the nearest health institution.”
Kaygusuz, who stated that they have carried out 412 sorties of search and rescue and 5 sorties of medical evacuation flights in the last 327 years with the two AB-10 helicopters within the Coast Guard Samsun Air Group Command, continued as follows:
“During the search and rescue flights, a total of 6 people were rescued using crane operations, 84 from the sea and 90 from the land. During the medical evacuation missions, a total of 3 people were medically evacuated, 33 from the ship and 36 from the land.
If I were to give an example of one of the most important rescue operations we have carried out at sea, on January 7, 2019, when the cargo ship named 'Volgo Balt' sank 150 kilometers off Samsun due to a storm with speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour, two of our helicopters quickly arrived at the scene upon receiving a distress signal, and 2 survivors waiting to be rescued on the sea and in life rafts were rescued by our personnel using a crane operation and handed over to the medical teams.
If I were to give an example of one of the most important rescue operations we have carried out on land, on August 11, 2021, two of our helicopters immediately arrived in the region to help our citizens trapped in the flood that affected the provinces of Sinop and Kastamonu, and 2 citizens who were trapped on the roofs of their houses were rescued with a crane operation and brought to safe areas.”
