4 Injured in Tug Fire 1,100 Miles Off S.F. Reach Hospital in Bay Area

Four crewmen injured in a fire on board an ocean tug arrived at a hospital ashore Saturday after their rescue by California Air National Guard paramedics who parachuted into the sea 1,100 miles west of San Francisco.

A spokesman for the regional Burn Center at Brookside Hospital in San Pablo said Maynard Green, 48, and Mike Hoffman, 32, both of Seattle, were in critical condition with burns on more than 80% of their bodies.

William Ike, 27, of Vancouver, Wash., was reported in stable condition with burns on 20% of his body, while crewman Dave Murray of Mt. Vernon, Wash., was reported in good condition after treatment for smoke inhalation.

Hospital spokesman Fraser Felter said Murray and Ike may be moved today to Stanford University Medical Center.

All four were injured in an explosion and fire on board the oceangoing tug Marine Constructor. A California Air National Guard C-130 from Moffett Field Naval Air Station flew the scuba- and parachute-equipped paramedics to the scene.

They later transferred their patients to a Japanese freighter, where an Air National Guard helicopter picked them up and moved them to the aircraft carrier Ranger. A Navy C-2 cargo transport flew to the Ranger from San Diego to pick up the injured men for the flight to shore.

Air National Guard Maj. Dave Swearingen said the mission was the longest over-water rescue in history. “That’s 200 miles farther than we ever tried to go before,” he said. “But it worked.”