The Louis-S-St-Laurent: Crew Feedback and Vessel Data

In a prompt and heroic response, an aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak successfully executed a medical evacuation for a 24-year-old female crew member aboard the 'Louis S. St. Laurent'. This dramatic incident unfolded 200 miles northeast of Utqiagvik, Alaska, on October 6, 2022. The alert was raised at 6:30 p.m. when watchstanders at the Coast Guard's 17th District Command Center received an urgent medevac request. The crew member had experienced illness for two days and required immediate surgical intervention. Arriving at the scene at 2:15 a.m., the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter team hoisted the patient along with medical professionals onboard. They successfully transported them to Utqiagvik, where a North Slope Search and Rescue team was on standby to facilitate their further journey to Anchorage for specialized care.

The Canadian Coast Guard's icebreaker, the "Louis St-Laurent" (IMO: 7901523), is scheduled for crucial repairs this fall due to a malfunctioning propeller that has left the vessel unable to operate since September 19, 2011. Despite several attempts, divers working in the challenging waters off Cambridge Bay were unable to successfully reposition the broken propeller, leading to the announcement on October 11 that repair efforts had been fruitless. Currently anchored in Cambridge Bay, the CGC is making necessary arrangements for the icebreaker to navigate out of Arctic waters and head to dry dock for comprehensive repairs. The expectation is for the "Louis St-Laurent" to reach its home port of St. John's, Newfoundland, by the end of October, where it will have its two other propellers fully operational. Investigations into the ship's abnormal stern vibrations revealed that the central propeller had shifted approximately six inches off its shaft due to a loosened propeller nut. The incident unfolded as the icebreaker was finishing its seismic work for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. With repairs anticipated to be completed by late December or early January 2012, the "Louis St-Laurent" is poised to return to its vital functions in Arctic navigation and maritime operations.