The crew of an Ecuadorian tuna seiner stricken by fire 527 miles off the Galapagos Islands headed home after a high-seas rescue coordinated Aug. 20 by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Around 8 p.m., Coast Guard Southwest District watchstanders in San Francisco received multiple distress alerts from the Drennec, an 80-meter (242’) fishing vessel,including an emergency beacon alert and Iridium alert from a Garmin inReach device.
The watchstanders established contact with Garmin Response, which confirmed that the vessel had caught fire and all 27 crew members had abandoned ship into a life raft.
Using the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER), Coast Guard watchstanders reached out to nearby vessels, alerting them to the situation and requesting assistance.
Two good Samaritan vessels, the 777’ container ship Oluf Maersk and the fishing vessel Ricky A, diverted to assist. Ricky A recovered all 27 crew from the lifeboat, while Oluf Maersk remained on scene to assist. By 10:15 a.m. Aug. 21, all crew were reported safely aboard the Ricky A, to be transported to the Drennec’s homeport of Guayaquil, Ecuador.
“Rescuing 27 crew members within 11 hours of the distress alert in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean is an incredible achievement that highlights how the Global Search and Rescue System is designed to work,” said Doug Samp, a Coast Guard search and rescue mission coordinator.
“This rapid response was made possible by the crew’s proper emergency devices and the seamless coordination between the Coast Guard, Maritime Rescue Coordination Center Ecuador, and the good Samaritans who responded. We sincerely appreciate the response from the Oluf Maersk and Ricky A, who directly contributed to 27 lives saved.”
AMVER is a worldwide voluntary ship-reporting system sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard. Search and rescue authorities use AMVER vessel position information to identify participating commercial ships near a maritime distress and request their assistance. Participation allows merchant vessels around the world to play a vital role in saving lives at sea.
