River and bay pilot honored for heroic effort
Every Delaware River and Bay pilot will tell you there is no such thing as a routine day.
However, very few have ever faced a situation that pilot Mike Newsham of Milton had to deal with Jan. 19.
As he was returning a pilot vessel in Delaware Bay to the pilots’ station dock in Lewes, he was contacted by the vessel Swift Runner who had a crew member on board in cardiac arrest with CPR in progress. Newsham immediately coordinated dock space at the pilots’ station, which ensured easy access by Sussex County paramedics.
At the dock, Newsham boarded the Swift Runner and assisted with CPR and used an automated external defibrillator in hopes of resuscitating the crew member. He continued to administer aid until paramedics arrived. Unfortunately, the crew member passed away.
“Although the outcome was tragic, your valiant efforts to save the person's life did not go unnoticed by all involved. Your noble actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of professional mariners,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jonathan Theel during a March 23 ceremony at the pilots’ station off Cape Henlopen Drive.
The Coast Guard presented Newsham, an 18-year veteran of the pilots' association, with a certificate and a captain's coin.
“Being a professional mariner takes a certain type of character, one who is willing to save someone else,” Theel said.
Sen. Ernie Lopez, R-Lewes, who attended the ceremony, said the best pilots and Coast Guard members are in Delaware. “Mike Newsham’s efforts are a testament to everyone in this building,” he said.
The Pilots' Association for the Bay and River Delaware, founded in Lewes in 1896, is one of the oldest associations in the country. Pilots are responsible for the safe navigation of commercial vessels on the Delaware River, Delaware Bay and its tributaries, including the Schuylkill and Salem rivers, and the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal from the Atlantic Ocean to Trenton, N.J. Commercial vessels must stop before heading north in the bay to allow a pilot to board.
