Coast Guard station conducts surf drills in Oregon Inlet

Coast Guard station conducts surf drills in Oregon Inlet

Coast Guard Station Oregon Inlet crews conducted surf training near the Oregon Inlet bar in Nags Head this week.

Hurricane Maria remained about 150 miles offshore as it passed North Carolina’s Outer Banks, but created surf conditions in Oregon Inlet from Tuesday to Thursday.

Station Oregon Inlet 47-foot Motor Life Boat crews used the sea conditions to conduct surf drills for 18 hours total this week. Training included maneuvering practice, man overboard drills and emergency tows.

“Each time the weather presents an opportunity to train in breaking seas, we exhaust every effort to get underway and train,” said Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Joshua Perkins, operations petty officer and at Station Oregon Inlet. “Proficiency ensures that both the boat operators and crew members are ready when the search and rescue alarm sounds in the most challenging conditions.”