29 Nov 1945

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




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds

Search WW2DB
News

Random Photograph

P-47N Thunderbolts of the 19th Fighter Squadron running up their engines at Ie Jima, Japan, circa June 1945.


Current Site Statistics

Famous WW2 Quote
"You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terrors. Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival."

Winston Churchill


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!