The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross to Aviation Maintenance Technician First Class Christian A. Blanco, United States Coast Guard, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight while serving as flight mechanic of Coast Guard HH- 60J helicopter 6011 on the night of 12 November 1999. The crew was engaged in the rescue of three survivors from the 52-foot fishing vessel BECCA DAWN, which sank in a winter storm 160 miles northwest of Sitka, Alaska. After transiting through heavy snow squalls, Petty Officer Blanco arrived on scene to find three survivors clinging together, struggling to remain afloat in the raging 35-45 foot seas. Winds were 40 knots with howling 65-knot gusts filling the air with freezing spray. Severe turbulence flung the aircraft about the sky almost uncontrollably. Petty Officer Blanco drew upon his experience to maintain his composure while struggling to deliver the rescue basket. He repeatedly conned the pilot into position and delivered the rescue basket to the survivors, only to have huge breaking waves sweep it away from them. He was forced to raise and stabilize the wildly swinging device, and start all over. After a heroic and exhausting 15-minute struggle, he timed a perfect delivery of the basket. One man climbed in and Petty Officer Blanco hoisted him to safety. He repeated the effort successfully delivering the basket after another grueling 15-minute ordeal. While one man climbed inside the basket, the remaining survivor tenaciously clung to the outside. He knew that their combined weight could overload the hoist. With no way to communicate to them, he was forced to attempt a recovery. The cable swung wildly as the basket approached the aircraft. With a mighty effort, Petty Officer Blanco and the rescue swimmer used their combined strength and weight to steady the basket, miraculously managing to bring it into the cabin without dislodging the clinging survivor. Petty Officer Blanco’s actions, skill, and valor were instrumental in the rescue of three lives. His courage, judgment, and devotion to duty are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.