Suddenly, flames erupted form the number one engine and left wing, while the verticle and horizontal stabilizers suffered additional damage. The crew lost control of the engine, and all emergency efforts to suppress the fire failed. As the blaze spread aft toward the rear fuselage, the situation grew critical. At 12:30 p.m. the crew transmitted an SOS and announced their intent to ditch the PV2V-5.
Walsh’ s career spanned some of the most eventful years in Coast Guard history, including Prohibition, World War II and the post-war modernization of the service.
Station was totally destroyed, all property and effects belonging to station lost, except boats, but their whereabouts are unknown except that of lifeboat, which was saved but is badly stoved and is lying about a mile and a half back from the beach at Texas City.
In the evening of April 20, 2010,, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig blows up. The explosion results in the deaths of 11 workers and, within two days, the loss of the rig. The resulting spill of over 200 million gallons of crude oil became the largest discharge of oil in U.S. waters. This was the catalyst for the largest response for an environmental disaster in the Service’s history.
Darkness fell suddenly in the eye with the storm’s western wall shading the setting sun—time to leave. We could provide no further assistance. Dell G’s calm was ending, as was ours. Now came the most terrifying part of the day—flying back into the storm’s eyewall.
