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USNS Rappahannock rescues fishermen (12/20)

The USNS Rappahannock, crewed by members of the SIU’s Government Services Division, rescued three fisherman near the Philippines on Dec. 19, according to the U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC). The agency issued the following news release: USNS Rappahannock rescues three Filipino fishermen The crew of Military Sealift Command ship USNS Rappahannock rescued three Filipino fishermen found clinging to their overturned boat off the coast of the Philippines on Dec. 19. Rappahannock, a fleet replenishment oiler, was operating in the South China Sea when the ship’s crew spotted flashing lights from a small, overturned vessel just minutes before midnight. Rappahannock crew members were dispatched in a rigid-hull inflatable boat to pull the three fishermen from the rough waters. Once aboard Rappahannock, the rescued men were examined by medical personnel, clothed and fed. All three were reported uninjured. “It’s like a miracle. They were all lucky to survive for several days,” said Jeremy Guida, one of 85 civil service mariners who crew Rappahannock. The men were transferred from the ship to authorities at Subic Bay on the morning of Dec. 19. Rappahannock is one of MSC’s 14 fleet replenishment oilers, which provide fuel to deployed Navy ships, dramatically extending the time a Navy battle group can stay at sea. In addition to Rappahannock’s civil service mariner crew, a small Navy contingent is also on board to support supply coordination and helicopter operations. At the time of the rescue, Rappahannock was conducting routine replenishment operations in the area. Military Sealift Command operates approximately 110 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. -USN-