Last year on April 25 about 20 miles from the port town of Homer, Alaska, the Halibut Endeavor, a 39 foot charter fishing boat with 13 people (11 passengers and two crew members) gave a distress call. A high speed 27' Coast Guard Auxiliary boat that was manned by an international crew of Coast Guard Auxiliarists; Shane Taylor of Anchorage, Richard Liebe of Anchorage, Raymond Miller of Fairbanks and Mike Cupit, as part of an exchange program from the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, were training some 20 miles away. Hearing the distress call they immediately changed course went to help.

They found that the rear of the Halibut Endeavor was almost submerged and the 11 passengers were in front trying to stop the boat from tipping over. The rescue crew moved quickly and pulled the passengers to safety. The Halibut Endeavor rolled onto its side with the two crew members still inside. This forced the rescue boat to move to a distance and again maneuver to the Halibut Endeavor to save the crew members. Within seconds of the rescue the boat sank.

The ceremony was attended by members of Congress, AFRAS members, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and other senior Coast Guard personnel. To be eligible for the AFRAS Silver Medal the Auxiliarist(s) should have saved a life or lives from either inland or coastal waters and the heroic act was unique. Set up in February of 2000, the Association for Rescue at Seas’ (AFRAS) Silver Medal is presented at the AFRAS award ceremony which is held every year in on Capitol Hill.