09/02/2026
On **September 4, 2008**, Coast Guard HH-65C Dolphin **CGNR 6505** out of Air Station Barbers Point crashed off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, during a night hoisting training exercise with a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat. All four crew members made the ultimate sacrifice.
# # # **The Crew of CG-6505**
* **Commander Thomas G. Nelson (Posthumously promoted to Captain)**
* **Role:** Aircraft Commander / Executive Officer, Air Station Barbers Point
* **Family:** Survived by his wife, **Vicky Nelson**, and two daughters, **Adriana** and **Aurora-Jean**. His father, **James Nelson**, served in the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
* **Lieutenant Commander Andrew Wischmeier**
* **Role:** Co-Pilot
* **Family:** Survived by his wife, **Lori Wischmeier**, and their children.
* **Aviation Survival Technician First Class (AST1) David Skimin**
* **Role:** Rescue Swimmer
* **Family:** Survived by his wife, **Renee Skimin**, and their children.
* **Aviation Maintenance Technician First Class (AMT1) Joshua Nichols**
* **Role:** Flight Mechanic
* **Family:** Survived by his wife, **Ciara Nichols**, and their family.
The legacy of the CG-6505 crew continues to be deeply honored across the Coast Guard aviation community, the Rescue Swimmer Association, and through organizations like the Coast Guard Foundation, which supports their surviving families.
