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USNS Arctic assists in rescue (6/21)

The U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) recently issued the following press release concerning a rescue that involved the USNS Arctic, which is crewed by members of the SIU Government Services Division. The news release also is available on MSC’s web site here USNS Arctic assists in rescue at sea USNS Arctic arrived in Virginia today (June 16) to drop off a rescued Scottish yachtsman after assisting in his rescue in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. On June 12, Arctic, a fast combat support ship operated by Navy's Military Sealift Command, was about 115 miles away from the 32-foot-long sailboat Tyree when its captain, William Glover, sent a distress message. He stated that he was injured and in need of medical assistance. The Navy's guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley, located nearby, dispatched its helicopter for the rescue. Due to the distance of the flight, the helicopter first landed on Arctic to refuel before proceeding to the sailboat. The helicopter picked up the injured yachtsman using its hoist and rescue basket and then returned to the Arctic, where Glover was taken by stretcher to the ship's medical clinic for evaluation. "After hearing initial reports from the flight crew of possible serious injuries, it was good to see that Glover's situation were far less critical. Other than being cold, wet and fatigued, Glover was found to be in relatively good shape," said Arctic's master, Jonathan Mellow. Since Glover had nothing but the tattered and wet clothing on his back, the ship's civil service mariner crew generously collected donations of clothing and money to tide him over until he can access his bank accounts. Arctic arrived in Craney Island, Va., where it was determined that Glover did not need further medical attention. A member of the British Consulate from Washington, D.C., met Mr. Glover to provide assistance. Tyree was recently purchased in Florida, and Glover was single-handededly sailing the boat home to Scotland. He had departed Bermuda en route the Azores when he was injured aboard his sailboat in a fall. Tyree was in good condition when Glover left, and he's contemplating the possibility of recovering her. Arctic is designed to escort carrier battle groups, and is one of Military Sealift Command's approximately 120 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, chart ocean bottoms, conduct undersea surveillance, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military equipment and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces ###