Despite the storm's severity, it was neither the costliest nor the strongest to affect the northeastern United States. It was weakening as it made its closest approach to land, and the highest tides occurred during the neap tide, which is the time when tide ranges are minimal. The worst of the storm effects stayed offshore. A buoy northeast of Nantucket, which was west of "Andrea Gail" last known position, recorded a rise in wave height in 10 hours while the extratropical storm was still rapidly intensifying. Two buoys near the Massachusetts coast observed record wave heights, and one observed a record wind report. The United States Coast Guard rescued 25 people at sea at the height of the storm, including 13 people from Long Island Sound. A New York Air National Guard helicopter of the 106th Air Rescue Wing ditched during the storm, south of Montauk, New York, after it was unable to refuel in flight and ran out of fuel. After the helicopter had attempted a rescue in the midst of the storm, an 84-person crew on the Coast Guard Cutter "Tamaroa" arrived and rescued four members of the crew of five after six hours in hypothermic waters. The survivors were pilots Dave Ruvola and Graham Bushor, flight engineer Jim Miolli, and pararescue jumper John Spillane. The fifth member, pararescue jumper Rick Smith, was never found. They were all featured on the show I Shouldn't be Alive.