LV Coast Guardsman coordinates rescue of three teens in Florida

Dick Benoit

Thursday, Aug. 16, 2001 | 8:26 a.m.

A 1995 Eldorado High School graduate has been instrumental in the rescue of three Miami teenagers while serving with the U.S. Coast Guard.

Brian Kip, the son of Jay Kip of Las Vegas, was recently honored by Rep. Heanna Ros-Lehtinen for his role in the rescue. She presented Kip and other rescuers with a flag that had flown over the Capitol.

The rescue operations occurred April 18 and 19. The case began when one of the teenagers' parents called the Coast Guard about 9 p.m., saying the three boys had not returned from a sailing venture. Kip, who was the duty officer at Coast Guard Station Miami Beach at the time, helped coordinate a search that began with the launch of four Coast Guard rescue boats.

Eventually a Coast Guard rescue helicopter, a Metro-Dade Sheriff helicopter, two Biscayne park ranger boats and two Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation boats were also involved in the search, with Kip serving as one of the key coordinators of the effort.

The crew of the Coast Guard helicopter eventually located the boys around 1 a.m. April 19. After being sighted the boys were picked up by the Fish and Wildlife and park ranger boats and taken to the Miami Beach Coast guard Station to be reunited with family members.

Bonanza grad honored

Paul Pishnak, a 1984 graduate of Bonanza High School, recently earned distinction as an honor graduate of the Army Warrant Officer Candidate Course at Fort Rucker, Daleville, Ala. The new warrant officer is the son of Jack Pishnak of Las Vegas and Laura Pishnak of Henderson.

He will be assigned to the Army National Guard and will attend the Aviation Maintenance Technician Course at Fort Rucker, Ala., and the Property Accounting Technician Course at Fort Lee, Va.

In brief