MIAMI - Capt. Richard Kenin, 7th Coast Guard District chief of staff, pins the Silver Lifesaving Medal on Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Rivera, an Aviation Electronics Technician, during a ceremony at Coast Guard Air Station Miami Feb. 7, 2012. Rivera received the award for his the rescue of R&B artist Sean Kingston after he struck a bridge on his personal watercraft. Rivera immediately jumped in and kept him afloat until additional help arrived on May 29, 2011. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Elgammal.

MIAMI - Capt. Richard Kenin, 7th Coast Guard District chief of staff, and Capt. Joe Kimball, commanding officer of Air Station Miami, present the Silver Livesaving Medal to Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Rivera, an Aviation Electronics Technician, during a ceremony at Coast Guard Air Station Miami Feb. 7, 2012. Rivera received the award for his the rescue of R&B artist Sean Kingston after he struck a bridge on his personal watercraft. Rivera immediately jumped in and kept him afloat until additional help arrived on May 29, 2011. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Elgammal.

MIAMI – Carmen Rivera stands next to her husband Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Rivera while he receives the Silver Lifesaving Medal during a ceremony at Coast Guard Air Station Miami Feb. 7, 2012. Rivera received the award for his the rescue of R&B artist Sean Kingston after he struck a bridge on his personal watercraft. Rivera immediately jumped in and kept him afloat until additional help arrived on May 29, 2011. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Elgammal.

ENGLEWOOD, Fla. — Two Englewood residents are safe after being rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard approximately 13 miles west of Stump Pass, Fla., Tuesday.

The two men were spotted sitting on the hull of their submerged vessel frantically waiving their arms 1800 yards away by watchstanders aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Diamondback, homeported in Miami, while it was in transit to drydock.

The cutter Diamondback launched their smallboat crew who took the men off the submerged vessel and brought them aboard the cutter.

"Luck on behalf of the survivors along with vigilant watchstanding by the cutter Diamondbacks crew ultimately saved their lives as their vessel capsized prior to them making any callouts for help and they didn't have any kind of signaling equipment on board," said Senior Chief Petty Officer Robert Wood, command duty officer at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg's command center. "Having an electronic position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) on board all vessels is highly recommended to expedite the rescue process in distress cases unforseen." 

The two men were transferred to Coast Guard Station Cortez. No injuries were reported.

TAMPA BAY, Fla. – Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers teamed up with local law enforcement agencies to keep waterways safe during the 2012 Gasparilla Pirate Fest in the Port of Tampa, Jan. 28, 2012.
Officers conducted boating safety inspections targeting boaters operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty officer 3rd Class Michael De Nyse.  

TAMPA BAY, Fla. – Petty Officer 1st Class Lee Koushan,  a boarding team member at Coast Guard Station Sand Key, keeps a sharp eye on mariners as they celebrate the 2012 Gasparilla Pirate Fest in the Port of Tampa, Jan. 28, 2012.
Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers teamed up with local law enforcement agencies to keep waterways safe during the Gasparilla celebration. Officers conducted boating safety inspections targeting boaters operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty officer 3rd Class Michael De Nyse.  

TAMPA BAY, Fla. – Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers teamed up with local law enforcement agencies to keep waterways safe during the 2012 Gasparilla Pirate Fest in the Port of Tampa, Jan. 28, 2012.
Officers conducted boating safety inspections targeting boaters operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty officer 3rd Class Michael De Nyse. 

TAMPA BAY, Fla. – Coast Guard patrols the air and sea with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers and local law enforcement agencies to keep waterways safe during the 2012 Gasparilla Pirate Fest in the Port of Tampa, Jan. 28, 2012.
Officers conducted boating safety inspections targeting boaters operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty officer 3rd Class Michael De Nyse. 

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Coast Guard Adm. Bob Papp, Commandant of the Coast Guard, celebrates as he receives the key to the City of Clearwater during a celebration where Clearwater was designated the title of “Coast Guard City”, at a ceremony downtown Jan. 27, 2012.
Clearwater is now one of 14 cities throughout the nation to be designated a Coast Guard City and the only one in the State of Florida. The designation, endorsed by Congress and the Coast Guard, is made to recognize the outstanding support the community provides to Coast Guard personnel and their families. The city actively coordinates community recognition, events and programs to best support its valued Coast Guard families.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3^rd Class Michael De Nyse. 

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Sara Faulkner receives recognition from (right) Rear Adm. Bill Baumgartner, 7th Coast Guard District commander and Capt. John Turner, commanding officer of Air Station Clearwater, during an awards ceremony at Air Station Clearwater Jan. 23, 2012. Lt. George Menze, Lt. George Cottrell, Petty Officer 2nd Class James Nelson, and Faulkner made up the four-person Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew who battled harsh weather conditions as they rescued three sailors aboard the 50-foot sailing vessel Arktur 47-miles off the coast of the Bahamas Dec. 27, 2010. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class James Nelson receives recognition from (right) Rear Adm. Bill Baumgartner, 7th Coast Guard District commander and Capt. John Turner, commanding officer of Air Station Clearwater, during an awards ceremony at Air Station Clearwater Jan. 23, 2012. Lt. George Menze, Lt. George Cottrell, Petty Officer 2nd Class Sara Faulkner and Nelson made up the four-person Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew who battled harsh weather conditions as they rescued three sailors aboard the 50-foot sailing vessel Arktur 47-miles off the coast of the Bahamas Dec. 27, 2010. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle.

LARGO, Fla. - Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas McArthur, an aviation survival technician stationed at Air Station Traverse City, Mich., gives a speech at a recognition and awards dinner to Osceola Boy Scout leaders and their families at Christ Presbyterian Church, Dec. 8, 2011. McArthur, an Eagle Scout, was recognized at the dinner for being awarded the Coast Guard Silver Lifesaving Award for saving 12 people in peril on Lake Michigan, Aug. 15, 2010.

LARGO, Fla. - Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas McArthur, an aviation survival technician stationed at Air Station Traverse City, Mich., gives a speech at a recognition and awards dinner to Osceola Boy Scout leaders and their families at Christ Presbyterian Church, Dec. 8, 2011. McArthur, an Eagle Scout, was recognized at the dinner for being awarded the Coast Guard Silver Lifesaving Award for saving 12 people in peril on Lake Michigan, Aug. 15, 2010.

LARGO, Fla. - Osceola Boy Scout leaders give a round of applause for Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas McArthur, an aviation survival technician stationed at Air Station Traverse City, Mich., during a speech at a recognition and awards dinner at the Christ Presbyterian Church, Dec. 8, 2011. McArthur, an Eagle Scout, was recognized at the dinner for being awarded the Coast Guard Silver Lifesaving Award for saving 12 people in peril on Lake Michigan, Aug. 15, 2010.

LARGO, Fla. - Osceola District Boy Scouts District Vice Chair George Bessler presents an award to Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas McArthur, an aviation survival technician stationed at Air Station Traverse City, Mich., during a recognition and awards dinner with Osceola Boy Scout leaders and their families at Christ Presbyterian Church, Dec. 8, 2011. McArthur, an Eagle Scout, was recognized at the dinner for being awarded the Coast Guard Silver Lifesaving Award for saving 12 people in peril on Lake Michigan, Aug. 15, 2010.

LARGO, Fla. - Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Thomas McArthur, an aviation survival technician stationed at Air Station Traverse City, Mich., and Osceola District Boy Scouts District Vice Chair George Bessler, pose for a photo after a recognition and awards dinner with Osceola Boy Scout leaders and their families at Christ Presbyterian Church, Dec. 8, 2011. McArthur, an Eagle Scout, was recognized at the dinner for being awarded the Coast Guard Silver Lifesaving Award for saving 12 people in peril on Lake Michigan, Aug. 15, 2010.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. - Children wait patiently to see a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Clearwater, Fla., up close during a Great American Teach-In event at Carwise Middle School, Nov. 17, 2011. Every year, volunteers from the community speak to students about their careers and the benefits of education. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

PALM HARBOR, Fla. - Coast Guard Capt. John Turner, commanding officer of Air Station Clearwater, Fla., shakes the hand of Master Chief Petty Officer John Milbrandt before giving a tour of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter to several children during a Great American Teach-In event at Carwise Middle School, Nov. 17, 2011. Every year, volunteers from the community speak to students about their careers and the benefits of education. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

PALM HARBOR, Fla. - Coast Guard Capt. John Turner, commanding officer of Air Station Clearwater, Fla., shows 8th grader Maggie Attia the cockpit of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter during a Great American Teach-In event at Carwise Middle School, Nov. 17, 2011. Every year, volunteers from the community speak to students about their careers and the benefits of education. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

PALM HARBOR, Fla. - Several children gather around a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Clearwater, Fla., during a Great American Teach-In event at Carwise Middle School, Nov. 17, 2011. Every year, volunteers from the community speak to students about their careers and the benefits of education. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

PALM HARBOR, Fla. - Lt. Sam Babbitt, a pilot at Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., poses for a photo with several children during a Great American Teach-In event at Carwise Middle School, Nov. 17, 2011. Every year, volunteers from the community speak to students about their careers and the benefits of education. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

PALM HARBOR, Fla. - Coast Guard Master Chief Petty Officer John Milbrandt, command master chief for Air Station Clearwater, Fla., shows children a rescue basket during a Great American Teach-In event at Carwise Middle School, Nov. 17, 2011. Every year, volunteers from the community speak to students about their careers and the benefits of education. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Coast Guard Ensign Stephen Hills, a crewmember onboard the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous, speaks with various members of St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue before commencing a simulated fire drill Nov. 15, 2011. Crewmembers from the cutters Venturous and Resolute, along with members from the St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue held a joint firefighting training exercise to maintain a memorandum of understanding with the county and to maintain firefighting proficiency and familiarity with the cutters. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Brad Marowitz, a machinery technician onboard the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous, homeported in St. Petersburg, speaks to Lt. Henry Simmons with St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue during a simulated fire drill Nov. 15, 2011. Crewmembers from the cutters Venturous and Resolute, along with members from the St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue held a joint firefighting training exercise to maintain a memorandum of understanding with the county and to maintain firefighting proficiency and familiarity with the cutters. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Brad Marowitz, a machinery technician onboard the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous homeported in St. Petersburg, keeps communication with the quarterdeck during a simulated fire drill Nov. 15, 2011. Crewmembers from the cutters Venturous and Resolute, along with members from the St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue held a joint firefighting training exercise to maintain a memorandum of understanding with the county and to maintain firefighting proficiency and familiarity with the cutters. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A reflection off of a St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue truck shows the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous moored pier side, Nov. 15, 2011. Crewmembers from the cutters Venturous and Resolute, along with members from the St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue held a joint firefighting training exercise to maintain a memorandum of understanding with the county and to maintain firefighting proficiency and familiarity with the cutters. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

TAMPA, Fla. - Coast Guard members and civilian personnel chat about the new MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter at the 11th Annual Coast Guard Innovation Exposition at the Tampa Convention Center, Fla., Oct. 25, 2011. The Coast Guard Innovation Exposition is sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association with service participation coordinated by the CommandantÕs Innovation Council. The exposition creates a rich focused environment for Coast Guard innovators to resolve organizational challenges by showcasing their initiatives in a rich collaborative learning environment alongside other innovators throughout the Department of Homeland Security and across government, industry and academia. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

TAMPA, Fla. – Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric White, stationed aboard Coast Guard Cutter Resolute, takes aim and reviews a new thermal imaging scope at the 11th Annual Coast Guard Innovation Exposition at the Tampa Convention Center, Fla., Oct. 25, 2011. The Coast Guard Innovation Exposition is sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association with service participation coordinated by the Commandant’s Innovation Council. The exposition creates a rich focused environment for Coast Guard innovators to resolve organizational challenges by showcasing their initiatives in a rich collaborative learning environment alongside other innovators throughout the Department of Homeland Security and across government, industry and academia. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael De Nyse.

TAMPA, Fla. - Lt. Robert Bowen, stationed at the Deployable Operations Group in Arlington, Va., tests optical equipment with Brendan Drury at the 11th Annual Coast Guard Innovation Exposition at the Tampa Convention Center, Fla., Oct. 25, 2011. The Coast Guard Innovation Exposition is sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association with service participation coordinated by the CommandantÕs Innovation Council. The exposition creates a rich focused environment for Coast Guard innovators to resolve organizational challenges by showcasing their initiatives in a rich collaborative learning environment alongside other innovators throughout the Department of Homeland Security and across government, industry and academia. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tara Molle

TAMPA, Fla. – Petty Officer 1st Class Lisa Varner, member of Coast Guard Training Team West, tests her driving skills on a simulator at the 11th Annual Coast Guard Innovation Exposition at the Tampa Convention Center, Fla., Oct. 25, 2011. The Coast Guard Innovation Exposition is sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association with service participation coordinated by the Commandant’s Innovation Council. The exposition creates a rich focused environment for Coast Guard innovators to resolve organizational challenges by showcasing their initiatives in a rich collaborative learning environment alongside other innovators throughout the Department of Homeland Security and across government, industry and academia. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael De Nyse.

TAMPA, Fla. - More than a decade since its inception, the Coast Guard Innovation Expo offers a refreshing array of exhibits, panel discussions and interactive demonstrations showcasing its culture of creative problem-solving. The 11th annual expo will be held Oct. 25-27, at the Convention Center, in Tampa.

“An important hallmark of the Coast Guard is its empowerment of innovative thinking, dating back to the earliest days of our founding as the Revenue Cutter Service, more than 221 years ago,” said Cmdr. Hugh Griffiths, Innovation and Initiatives Program Manager, Coast Guard Office of Performance Management. “Thinking of ways to solve problems that affect how we conduct search and rescue, perform administrative tasks, or work on marine environmental protection, make a huge difference. It’s why the Office of Innovation brings together military crews, members of the maritime and defense industries and the public to address an array of unique issues.”

The Expo, sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association offers an exciting look into advanced maritime and military technologies. There will be opportunities for discussion and demonstrations of how some of our innovative members address an array of challenges faced by the Coast Guard. The event offers a rare glimpse inside the ways innovation is fostered at each level of the organization, to address issues such as safety, efficiency, and environmentally compatible technologies.

This year’s theme, “Innovation: Steering the Course for Enduring Excellence”, highlights our focus on charting a course for creative solutions, in a dynamic global environment. Sub-focus areas include green technologies, and an emphasis on solving challenges faced by Coast Guard members and their families. One such solution involves green technologies that improve heating and cooling at a significant cost savings in military housing.

“Some of the exciting solutions we have seen evolve into the implementation phase are actually sparked at the Expo,” said Griffiths, pointing to a range of solutions such as healthier cooking aboard a cutter, ways to more efficiently access shipboard firefighting gear, efforts to tweak existing software to improve tracking deployed personnel, and decontamination of vessels exposed to oily water.

Panel discussions include experts on knowledge management and virtual learning. The exhibit hall will have more than 250 booths showcasing out-of-the box problem solving and provides an informal forum for idea sharing. The event also offers a helicopter rescue demonstration, and the chance to see Coast Guard vessels. Key Coast Guard leaders will attend the opening ceremonies beginning Tuesday at 8 a.m. The public is invited to the expo, showcasing innovations that are critical to the success of Coast Guard crews.

“Innovation is about new ways of looking at challenges and changing things for the better,” said Griffiths. “That is very exciting and it is exactly why we encourage the public to attend, to collaborate and assist us in meeting and overcoming our challenges."

Members of the maritime industry and the media are encouraged to stop by the three-day expo and interact with Coast Guard innovators. You can also follow the Innovation Expo virtually on Facebook, by logging on to: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=261428357224705