CONTACT: Eric Durr, 518-786-4581 or (cell) 518-429-5186

FOR RELEASE: Saturday, Nov 08, 2008

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY (11/08/2008)-- The New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing HC-130 Hercules that was assisting in the search for four missing Spanish fishermen in the Atlantic, approximately 1,000 miles east of Bermuda, has returned to to its home base at Gabreski Field Air National Guard Base here. The aircraft and its 19-member crew returned at approximately 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The aircraft was released from the search for the missing members of the Jose Almuiña crew because adequate search assets were on hand. The United States Coast Guard later called of the "active search" for the four missing fishermen. A Canadian Forces P-3 Orion and United States Coast Guard C-130 were still searching the area when the New York Air National Guard plane departed. The active search was ended at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. The Long Island-based HC-130 Hercules search and rescue aircraft arrived in Bermuda on Friday morning to refuel before joining the search, which was being conducted about 1,000 miles east of the island. On Thursday the Jose Almuiña, a 91-foot long Spanish-flagged fishing that had 11 sailors on board capsized. Seven of those sailors were found alive; six on a life raft and one in the ocean. The 106th Rescue Wing was asked to participate in the search shortly after 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6. by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Tyndall, Air Force Base , Florida. The wing dispatched the HC-130 with 19 crewmembers and two Zodiac boats which can be airdropped to aide survivors, at 6 a.m. Friday morning. The Coast Guard received an emergency signal from the Jose Almuiña at about 2:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Nov. 6 and two vessels were diverted to the location. The SKS Mosel from Norway recovered one crewmember from the water, while the Marshall Island's registered Navig8 Stealth II located the life raft with six people aboard. .The 106th Rescue Wing specializes in extracting aircrew down behind enemy lines. The unit, based at Gabreski Field Air National Guard Base in West Hampton Beach, N.Y. also provides a search and rescue capability along the Atlantic Coast