Thomas-Jefferson Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

On October 8, 2023, the United States Coast Guard successfully medevaced a 43-year-old crew member from the NOAA survey vessel 'Thomas Jefferson,' located 51 miles off the coast of Charleston. The incident unfolded when the captain of the vessel notified Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders at 11:50 a.m. about a serious arm laceration suffered by the crew member. After consulting with the duty flight surgeon, the decision was made to initiate a medevac. A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Savannah was promptly dispatched to the scene. They arrived swiftly, hoisted the injured individual aboard, and transported him to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. The latest updates indicate that the injured crew member is currently in stable condition. For more details, check out the report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3551768/photo-release-coast-guard-medevacs-man-from-survey-vessel-51-miles-offshore-cha/

CHARLESTON, S.C. — On Sunday, the Coast Guard successfully performed a medical evacuation of a 58-year-old man who was aboard the NOAA vessel Thomas Jefferson, approximately 6 miles off the coast of Tybee Island, Georgia. The rescue operation began at 11:03 a.m. when the crew of the 187-foot vessel reported that a member was suffering from serious chest pains. Responding quickly, the crew from Coast Guard Station Tybee Island deployed a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium (RBM) at 11:51 a.m. to assist. Simultaneously, the Thomas Jefferson's small boat crew was also launched. The teams converged at the scene at 12:18 p.m., collaborating to transport the incapacitated man back to Station Tybee Island, where emergency medical services (EMS) were prepared and waiting for him.

On September 2, 2011, the NOAA ship Thomas Jefferson embarked on an extensive three-month survey of the sea floor, focusing on the waters off the coast of New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. This critical initiative, part of a multi-year program, aims to update nautical charts for Block Island Sound to ensure safe passage for large vessels and facilitate smooth maritime commerce. The data gathered during this survey will not only bolster marine navigation but also contribute to a collaborative seafloor mapping project led by Connecticut and New York. Armed with state-of-the-art scientific equipment designed for detecting changes in channel seafloors, including shoaling and debris, the Thomas Jefferson is also positioned as an emergency responder—vital for providing information necessary for the swift reopening of ports post-hurricanes. Having been on standby to aid in the recovery efforts after Hurricane Irene swept through the Port of New York and New Jersey, the ship is playing a pivotal role in restoring maritime operations. Managed by NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey, this survey project builds on efforts that commenced in 2009, during which the Thomas Jefferson successfully surveyed 174 square nautical miles in Block Island Sound. The current mission will cover an impressive 228 square nautical miles between August and November of this year. Cmdr. Krepp, who leads this operation, brings a wealth of knowledge gained from his 18 years of experience in the NOAA Corps, both on land and sea. His previous service aboard the NOAA Ship Whiting includes critical search and recovery operations for the wreckage of John F. Kennedy Jr.’s plane and the Egypt Air 990 crash off Nantucket in 1999. Commissioned in 2003, the Thomas Jefferson is one of three vessels in the NOAA fleet dedicated to hydrographic surveys in support of the nautical charting mission under the Office of Coast Survey. Beyond its routine hydrographic tasks, the ship has played significant roles in responding to various emergencies, such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 and providing emergency navigation surveys following hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. With a skilled crew of 31, comprising both NOAA Corps Officers and civilian mariners, the Thomas Jefferson primarily operates along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, including missions in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, this vessel is part of NOAA's extensive fleet managed by the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, which unites civilian personnel with commissioned NOAA officers—one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. Since its inception by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807, NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey has maintained its core mission: to update nautical charts, survey coastal seafloors, respond to maritime emergencies, and identify underwater hazards that threaten navigation. NOAA remains committed to understanding and forecasting environmental changes from the depths of the oceans to the surface of the sun, all while striving to conserve and responsibly manage our coastal and marine resources.