Operation Yukon Coastie 2010, the mission was a special effort to take the message of boating safety into areas where it would otherwise not be heard, by using river-borne facilities operated by the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
The Yukon River – Great River in the Gwich'in Language
Spanning Canada’s Province of British Columbia and Yukon Territory, and running some 1,200 miles through Alaska to the Bering Sea, the Yukon River is home to some of the most remote villages found within Alaska.
Those living and working on the shores of the Yukon River don’t regularly hear our important Auxiliary messages of boating safety. Taking this fact in hand, Auxiliarists from across Alaska’s Seventeenth Coast Guard District decided to do something about it.
After a rough start on the haul road, otherwise known as the Dalton Highway, running from Fairbanks to Deadhorse, Auxiliary facilities uniquely equipped for operation on Interior Alaska’s rivers were launched into the Yukon River at 0100 on the seventh of June. Carrying Coastie, the safety boat, members embarked on an eight-day adventure starting in Steven’s Village and ending in Rampart.
A Rough Beginning for the Mission
Access to the Yukon River is found along the Dalton Highway at mile marker 56, where the haul road crosses the river. The 414-mile gravel highway built to access the oil fields of Purdue Bay isn’t for the faint of heart, as members of Operation Yukon Coastie were soon to find out.
The first causality of the trip was one of the tow vehicles that experienced a problem with its fuel system. Using a satellite phone, a rescue tow truck was dispatched that took four hours to arrive. Following this incident, one facility lost a windshield from a flying rock and a boat trailer blew a tire. Team members working through these many problems demonstrated the importance of being prepared.
Intervention From Above
Alaska’s Commander for the Seventeenth District, Admiral Colvin, arrived on scene thanks to the Alaska Air National Guard, to ride the river to Steven’s Village and observe this special mission. Hearing of troubles found along the highway, the Admiral even brought along a piece of Plexiglas to repair the broken facility windshield.
Admiral Colvin jumped in and helped load Coastie and the team’s other gear, and then proclaimed that Operation Yukon Coastie 2010 was officially underway. The Admiral was able to travel with the Auxiliarists on the river trip to Steven’s Village before being flown out by the Air Guard back to Anchorage.
Coastie the Safety Boat
Auxiliarists visited the communities of Stevens Village, Tanana, Galena, Nulatto, Kaltag, Koyukuk, Ruby, and Rampart to deliver the message of boating safety. In a scene that would repeat itself in every village, Coastie the Safety Boat and the team members were fantastic ambassadors for spreading this message of safety to adults and children alike in rural Alaska.
The animated robot comes across to children in very interactive manner. It wasn’t uncommon to see village children hugging and talking intimately to Coastie. It was remarkable to see Coastie underway on the Yukon River and to see his flag fly above beached fish wheels found ashore.
Logistically, team members had the unenviable task of moving the heavy robot on and off the river boats, providing for its maintenance and finding suitable surfaces for it operation. Camp was struck and set everyday on the shore of the great river.
Found on the Way: The Kid’s Don’t Float Program
Team members noted that in every village that they visited, there was a Kid’s Don’t Float lifejacket loaner board or station installed. This program started originally in Homer, Alaska and has spread out throughout the United States. The Alaska Office of Boating Safety does a good job of getting new lifejackets and station materials to local officials.
The program allows children that don’t have a lifejacket handy to borrow one for use on the spot, taking away a major risk factor for youth boating accidents. These lifejackets stations have been proven to save lives and are easy to maintain.
A Successful Safety Mission is Completed!
Returning to the Yukon Crossing Bridge, a tired group of happy volunteers marked the completion of a successful boating safety mission. All told, 252 children and 70 adults in eight villages along 860 miles of the Yukon River participated in the safety education program. Friendships were made here that will last a lifetime. Team members could only remark on the appreciation and respect they had for the river’s residents and how they received these volunteers.
Operation Yukon Coastie 2010 was a team effort that provided educational opportunities for remote Alaska residents on topics like cold-water survival, lifejacket use, boating safety and first-aid.
Hats off to the team members. Semper Paratus!
Alan Sorum - Alan Sorum is the Maritime Operations Project Manager for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council (PWSRCAC). Alan is ...
