02.28.20

Sullivan Honors Alaskan of the Week: Petty Officer Evan Grills

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the floor of the U.S. Senate yesterday, U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) recognized U.S. Coast Guard Petty OfficerEvan Grills, who serves at the U.S. Coast Guard Base in Kodiak, Alaska. Petty Officer Grills rescued two crew members from the Scandies Rosecrabbing vessel, which sank late in the night on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2019, 170 miles southwest of Kodiak amid 40-knot winds, 30-foot-high swells and a frigid temperature of ten degrees Fahrenheit. Sadly, five members of the crew—Seth Rousseau-Gano, Brock Rainey, Arthur Ganacias, Captain Gary Cobban, Jr., and David Cobban—were lost in the tragic sinking. The Scandies Rose operation was Grills’ first-ever real world rescue as a Coastguardsman. Sullivan recognized the other Coast Guard crewmembers who also participated in the rescue: the pilot, Lt. Christopher Clark, the copilot, Lt. Jonathan Ardan, and the mechanic, Jacob Dillon. Senator Sullivan recognized Petty Officer Grills, the Coast Guard team, and the Scandies Rose crew as part of his series, “Alaskan of the Week.”

Tribute to Petty Officer Evan Grills

Mr. President, as expected, it is time for our “Alaskan of the Week” speech. One of the most fulfilling things I get to do as Alaska's U.S. Senator is to come down to the floor of the Senate and talk about the people in my State who are making a difference in their communities, in the State, and in the country. It is a great opportunity in which to do that. 

I always encourage people who are watching and listening to come to the great State of Alaska for a visit. You will love it. It will be the best trip you ever take. I guarantee it.

I know the pages enjoy this speech each week because it is a story of what real people are doing and, in many cases, of humble heroes. Usually, these are happy stories that I get to talk about, but sometimes they aren't happy. The story I am going to tell today is, in fact, a very, very tragic one, but it contains the kind of heroism and selflessness that can spring from a tragedy and literally inspire a State or a nation.

If you are listening, I think you are going to be inspired. 

I have said on the floor before that we are a State--an enormous State, a big State in the country, by far--but that we are also a family and that, when something happens to members of our families, we all grieve. This is particularly true of the town of Kodiak, AK, and of the fishing community, both of which suffered a tremendous loss on New Year's Eve in the Gulf of Alaska when a crabbing boat, the Scandies Rose, sank into the freezing waters, taking with it five fishermen. 

Of the five fishermen--including Seth Rousseau-Gano, Brock Rainey, and Arthur Ganacias--Captain Gary Cobban, Jr., and David, his son, were both from Kodiak and perished with the crew. Blessedly and remarkably, there were two survivors--John Lawler, of Anchorage, and Dean Gribble, of Washington State. I mention that almost as a miracle. They were saved because of the bravery and the heroism of our Coast Guard rescuers, who flew through gale force winds and 30-foot-high swells to rescue these survivors. Credit goes to all of the Coast Guard members throughout the country but particularly to those in Kodiak and specifically to those who were on the flight--the pilot, LT Christopher Clark, the copilot, LT Jonathan Ardan, and the mechanic, Jacob Dillon.

As I said, they are all heroes in this story, but I want to specifically highlight the role of the rescue swimmer that evening of New Year's Eve--25-year-old PO Evan Grills. Now, Evan is a relative newcomer to the great State of Alaska, but his heroism in saving two lives more than qualifies him to be our Alaskan of the Week.

Before I get into the story of this perilous mission, let me tell you a little bit about the fishing community in Alaska and why our Coast Guard is so very valuable.

Alaska's seas are the most productive in the world and, by the way, the most sustainably managed in the world. More than 60 percent of all seafood harvested in the United States of America comes from Alaska's waters--6-0. I like to refer to our State as the superpower of seafood, which we clearly are, and our fishermen are probably the hardest working small business men and women around the world. They work hard. They take huge risks. And they produce a product that is second to none anywhere on the planet. They face brutal conditions at sea and sometimes very tough conditions in the market, but they love their work. They love the vital role they play in supplying the best tasting, most sustainable wild fish products to America and the globe--literally, the best.

The industry used to be incredibly dangerous, and it is still the Nation's second-most dangerous profession. I am sure a lot of the viewers have seen the show the “Deadliest Catch,” but unlike in previous decades, the culture has trended more toward safety. Most Alaskan fishermen you will meet, though, will have a harrowing story of a time at sea, and, of course, they will have harrowing stories of rescues.

Kodiak, AK, where the Scandies Rose is home-ported, is at the center of our fishing community. Kodiak is one of the largest fishing ports in the entire United States, both in terms of value and in terms of quantity. For those who have never been there, they have to go to Kodiak, AK. It is a magical, beautiful place. It is an island--one of the biggest islands in America. It is about the size of New Jersey--with beautiful, wonderful people, with tough people. By the way, the biggest brown bears on the planet all reside in Kodiak. The heart of Kodiak beats fish, and when one of its own perishes at sea, the whole community mourns, as it is still doing for Gary, Jr., and David Cobban--two hard-working, fine fishermen from a great family. 

Kodiak is also home to the largest Coast Guard base in the United States--the 17th District. By the way, we are making that base bigger, with more assets and more aircraft coming to Alaska, because we need it. As the chairman of the subcommittee in charge of the Coast Guard, I am going to continue to make that happen, for sure. In an average month in Alaska--get this--the Coast Guard saves 22 lives, performs 53 assists, and conducts 13 security boardings and 22 security patrols. This is in 1 month. Think about that. That is daily heroism for Alaska and for America. They do this all in the largest geographic area of any Coast Guard district in the country--nearly 4 million square miles--in some of the most challenging weather environments on the planet. That is what the men and women of the Coast Guard do in my great State every single day.

Now, being a rescue swimmer in the Coast Guard is an elite assignment. Being a rescuer in the Coast Guard station in Alaska is, according to our Alaskan of the Week, PO Evan Grills, the “tip of the spear” of this elite assignment. So let me tell you a little bit about Evan. 

Raised in Stuart, FL--the home of our Presiding Officer, Florida--the military had always appealed to Evan. His grandparents and uncles were marines. As a Marine colonel myself, I say “Semper Fi” to them. Some of his older friends and mentors went on to the academies, but going overseas didn't really appeal to Evan. Serving in the United States and saving American citizens at home did, as did the tough training required to be a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. “It's the most elite [assignment],” he said, “and that's what appealed to me, [so I joined].” 

Evan had been in Alaska for less than a year when, on New Year's Eve--just 2 months ago--the call came in that a boat that was about 170 miles southwest of Kodiak was in trouble.

Having trained mostly in swimming pools, this rescue--the one he was being called upon--was going to be his first. Think about that. Your first rescue--and I am going to describe conditions that would terrify anyone. Nothing prepared him for what he would soon be undertaking.

Mr. President, let me transport you now to this crabbing boat, the Scandies Rose, in the Gulf of Alaska on New Year's Eve. The winds are 40 knots. The seas are 30 feet. The boast is listing to the starboard side. It is 10 degrees out. Everything is freezing. It is nighttime. It is very dark.

It was clear the boat was going down, but the captain, heroically, with minutes to spare, was able to get off a mayday call and in doing so let the Coast Guard know exactly where to find them and, as a result of the captain's heroic actions, save two lives.

The two survivors, Dean Gribble, Jr., and John Lawler, managed to get into their survival suits and a life raft and waited to be rescued in these heavy, rough seas. It was a 4-hour wait. It was very, very cold.

They were covered in ice. The seas were pitching their raft. They were hypothermic, it was pitch black, and they had no idea if anyone was coming.

Gribble told a reporter that during the wait, he talked to John.

We're not going to die today, John. This isn't our time. We're not dying today. 

Even though, in his head, he knew they would die if a rescue didn't come soon. Then they saw the lights from the helicopter, with Evan Grills aboard, hovering above like an angel coming to save them. But it wasn't a given that in those conditions, they could even conduct a rescue; that it would be safe for the rescuer to jump in 30-foot swells to save them. To even try in these huge waves, in 40-knot winds, in icy conditions, was a danger to the crew and the pilots. The flight from Kodiak in those conditions had taken 2 hours, and the helicopter was short on fuel. They only had minutes left to make the decision whether to try to rescue them or turn around and go back to Kodiak. That, combined with the extreme winds and seas and freezing temperatures, made any attempt at deploying a rescue swimmer very, very risky.

The pilots conferred with our Alaskan of the week, Evan. They were nervous for his safety. They were hovering. They had to hover high because they didn't want to be hit by waves.

“Are you good with the plan?” they asked. 

“I guess so,” Evan said.

This was the first rescue of his career. I don't think there was much of an option not to do it. A thousand different thoughts went through Evan's head when he leapt into the frigid waters in a gale-force storm in pitch darkness, risking his life to save others.

When he reached the first survivor, he said:

I knew exactly what to do and how to do it. It was almost second nature.

His training kicked in. His great Coast Guard training kicked in. He explained the hoist he had come down with--that came down from the helicopter to the first survivor and how it worked to be hoisted up into the helicopter. And then to the second survivor, he said, “We're going to go up in this hoist together. Relax. I've got you covered.” Calm. Courage. Heroic. And he did. He had them covered.

These are the actions of a hero, a true American hero, a true Alaskan hero. These are actions that need to be celebrated and known in our country. How many Americans or Alaskans, even, read about what this young man did to save lives on New Year's Eve when the rest of America was celebrating and having fun? Well, now they know. 

But there are five, as I mentioned, who tragically couldn't be saved. We know their memories live on. And in Kodiak, the community, the family, and the loved ones of the Cobbans are beginning the long, slow process of healing.

As for Evan, our Alaskan of the week, he thinks a lot about those who were lost, wishing he could have done more, but he is grateful he was able to save two lives. He is also grateful for his training and what the Coast Guard does and how what he had trained for as a rescue swimmer worked. So he knows and now has the confidence that he can save others when they are in trouble.

“That's the core of it,” Evan said. “Obviously, we don't ever want anybody to get in trouble on the seas”--particularly the rough seas of Alaska—"but they do. And I'm happy I have the skills and training to save them.” Spoken like a true, humble hero, which this young man is. 

We are also glad you have the skills and training to save others, Evan, and we want to thank you.

Petty Officer Grills. Semper Paratus. Thanks for all you are doing. Thanks for your courage, your example, your inspiration, and thank you for being our Alaskan of the week.

 

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