(Left to right) Lt. Grant Langston, Petty Officer 2nd Class William Smith, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacob Warner and Lt. Francis Wolfe pose for a photo in front of a Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter March 19, 2015. The crew was awarded the Naval Helicopter Association Aircrew of the Year (Deployed) for the rescue of a crew member aboard the South Korean research vessel Araon in August 2014. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Diana Honings.

Arctic rescue: Closing the distance

It was Aug. 19, 2014, when crewmembers at FOL Barrow were notified of a 42 year-old male who had sustained a severe head injury aboard the South Korean research vessel Araon; a vessel that was located in thick ice-covered waters 310 miles north of Barrow. It was determined that two Jayhawk crews would make the lengthy trip north and rescue the mariner.